Ongoing Transport Disruptions in Edinburgh City Centre
Public transport disruptions in Edinburgh city centre are expected to continue as authorities investigate a fire at a former department store on Princes Street.
Bus routes have been diverted from Princes Street to George Street, and tram services are operating on a limited network following the blaze at the old Debenhams site last week.
Lothian Buses described the situation as "fluid," with no confirmed date for the full restoration of services.
Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) are conducting an ongoing investigation into the cause of the fire.
Jane Meagher, leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, cautioned that disruptions to public transport are "inevitable" during this period.
Fire investigation officers have recently been granted access to the building to proceed with their inquiry.
Investigation and Structural Concerns
The probe into the former department store fire had been delayed due to safety concerns regarding the building's structural integrity.
Images from the scene reveal the roof was completely destroyed and other parts of the building suffered severe damage.
Currently, tram services operate only between the west end and the airport.
Additionally, a significant portion of Rose Street and Rose Street South Lane remains closed to the public.
At the peak of the fire response, 50 firefighters were engaged in tackling the blaze.
Impact on City Events and Road Closures
The disruption comes ahead of a busy period for Edinburgh, with road closures planned for the upcoming festival season at the end of July.
George Street is typically closed to traffic in August, allowing bars and venues to extend their operations across the road during the festival.
Willie Hamilton, chief operating officer of Lothian Buses, acknowledged the challenges posed by the current closures.
"Princes Street is right at the heart of Edinburgh's public transport network, so any closure has a huge impact.
We are involved in discussions on a daily basis and I would urge anybody, when they are travelling to check in advance.
It is a fluid situation and it will be changing, sometimes hour to hour."
"Once we've got a date for length of time for this, that will determine whether the upcoming closures, for example of George Street for the festival, has to be a consideration or not."
Bus services have been rerouted from Princes Street to George Street during the closure.
Details of the Fire and Building History
The fire occurred in the early hours of Thursday at the B-listed building, where 50 firefighters were deployed at the height of the incident.
The building formerly housed part of the Debenhams department store, which closed in May 2021 following a previous fire the month before.
Retail units on the ground floor, including River Island and Levi's, have also closed.
The site was undergoing transformation into Scotland's first Zedwell hotel after being acquired by real estate firm Criterion Capital, owned by billionaire Asif Aziz.
A planning application submitted in March proposed cladding the building with a false façade and an advertising screen to conceal ongoing construction prior to the fire.
The roof was destroyed and large sections of the building sustained significant damage.
Council Response and Public Advice
Jane Meagher, council leader, advised commuters to anticipate disruptions to their journeys due to the ongoing closure.
"We will reopen Princes Street as soon as it's safe to do so but, with investigations ongoing at the site, it's too early to say when that will be.
This is one of our main thoroughfares, so I'm afraid it's inevitable that its ongoing closure will lead to travel and other disruption in the city centre.
We're doing everything we can to keep the city moving and are working closely with our bus and tram colleagues to keep delays to a minimum."
