A �5m investment in the proposed West Edinburgh Tram Line has been announced by Transport Minister Iain Gray.

The minister said the grant is intended to enable the tram project for the west of the Scottish capital to develop in line with the network in the north of the city.

The Scottish Executive has endorsed plans for a tram network to ease congestion and has already announced a �6.5m investment in northern Edinburgh.

Mr Gray said: "We made it clear in our recently published Transport Delivery Report that tackling congestion is our number one priority.

"Our top 10 priority projects across Scotland will tackle urban congestion over the next 10 years and provide more convenient travel choices.

Iain Gray: "Targeted investment"

"By providing new targeted investment for a tramline in West Edinburgh, where congestion is greatest, we are putting in place further key transport improvements needed to let Edinburgh flourish."

Alongside the tram grant, Mr Gray said he has given consent for �500,000 to be borrowed for the West Edinburgh Busways project (Webs).

The Webs system will see the introduction of new bus priority measures aimed at improving access to Edinburgh Park and South Gyle.

Earlier this year, former Transport Minister Wendy Alexander announced that she intended to make �6.5m available for the west Edinburgh project.

Congestion charging

However, Mr Gray said this figure has been reduced because some of the development work on the north Edinburgh line could be used in the west Edinburgh project.

Edinburgh City Council is involved in a public private partnership with Transport Initiatives Edinburgh Ltd to develop the tram project, which is expected to become reality within the next 15 years.

A series of measures have been proposed to cut traffic jams in Edinburgh - the most controversial being the plan for congestion charging.

That proposal would see drivers being charged �2 in a drive to reduce traffic levels in the city centre by 15%.