The next train arriving in the Borders... may be late
Ally McGilvray • Published 21 Nov 2011 09:30
15 Comments
RAIL chiefs have admitted they will struggle to complete the reopening of the new rail link between Edinburgh and the Borders by the target date of December 2014, it has been claimed.
Community councillor Jim Torrance told Tweedbank Community Council a senior figure from Network Rail - the company charged with taking forward the £295 million project - made the admission to him during a chance meeting.
He said he was told by the project manager that there was no guarantee the line, which has already been delayed, would be finished in time.
Mr Torrance made the comments after concerns were raised over disabled access to the Black Path during the construction works.
But Ministers said the 35-mile (56km) line from Edinburgh to Tweedbank was still on course to open in December 2014.
Community councillors discussed their concerns with transport chiefs from Scottish Borders Council at the community centre on Thursday.
A spokesman for the local authoritys said: "The meeting was to discuss arrangements for replacing sections of the Black Path once the railway is built. Officers from SBC discussed the requirements in the Waverley Railway Act (2006)."
But he added: "A new route would be provided using the Red Bridge, also sections of existing path and footway would be upgraded running parallel with the old Black Path. Further information would be available once detailed designs were available."
This article appeared in Border Telegraph 21 Nov 11
Have your say. Post a comment on this article.
-
Daibhi O Cathain
Unregistered User
Nov 21, 20:41
Report commentWhom do we believe? Ministers? A chance informal remark? We got the Bathgate - Airdrie link up and running, so why not the Waverley? Just get a move on and stop pussyfooting around!
Recommend?
Yes 32
No 5
-
wascowy wabbit
Unregistered User
Nov 21, 22:26
Report commentGood point daibhi. I look forward to the railway running. About time.
Recommend? Yes 28
No 5
-
hazelkaye
224 posts
Nov 22, 19:26
Report commentToo hell-bent on their various "consultations", be it EGIP (Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme) or "RAIL 2014" - both of which are no doubt 'fait accompli' if not already duly 'rubber stamped' - if EGIP is anything to go by - whereby the deletion of the long-proposed and well-documented Garngad Chord to permit Falkirk Grahamston-Cumbernauld line services DIRECT access to and from the Queen St low level lines - simply "vanished" - with all trace of it being removed from the online (BUT NOT PREVIOUS PRINTED AND thus SECURELY KEPT EVIDENCIAL) documentation - except for two VERY IMPORTANT tell-tale words (of) "Project Deleted" - despite Garngad being part and parcel of the original and clearly documented all-encompassing EGIP scheme!
Borders Railway? DON'T HOLD YOU BREATH! The ink is not permanent, so NEVER DRIES!
Recommend? Yes 27
No 1
-
hazelkaye
224 posts
Nov 22, 19:43
Report commentI should have added that I'm all in favour of the Waverley line's (part) reinstatement!
It should NEVER have been so politically closed in 1969.
But today, we've again facing the same political challenges but IN REVERSE (especially at Springburn)!
Recommend? Yes 26
No 6
-
Fala
Unregistered User
Nov 23, 22:15
Report commentWhy does a newspaper such as this take a chance remark and make such a negative headline on something that is so positive for the Borders?
Recommend? Yes 12
No 4
-
Jambojohnt
7 posts
Nov 24, 07:46
Report commentFala, it's because nothing ever happens in the Borders so this constitutes news.
Recommend? Yes 12
No 2
-
jinman72
4 posts
Nov 24, 07:52
Report commentLike many others, I would love to see this project completed, although sadly, I have my doubts as to whether it will ever happen, too many hurdles keep being put in its place, how is it that the Borders Rail Link received the Royal Assent well before that of the Airdrie to Bathgate railway, yet the latter is up and running and has been for over a year, now they are suggesting that the Borders railway won't be finished until 2015.
I'm convinced that someone high up in the Scottish Parliament doesn't want the scheme to go ahead, despite statements such as "its started so it will have to be finished". How come a scheme which was costed at £135 million, then goes through a "value for money" exercise and comes out at £295 million and is seen as good value????
With the experience of the Scottish Parliament building, originally costed at £40 million, final cost £400 million, Edinburgh Tram, original cost £500 miliion, now expected to cost double that, who is to say that the consultants won't bring the cost of the Borders railway to £500 million?
As someone has already said, the railway should never have closed in the first place, many smaller towns and villages in the UK retained their train services despite the best efforts of Dr Beeching in the 1960s. If it were open today, with proper marketing aka the Settle and Carlisle Railway in the 1980's and 1990's, the Waverley Route (as it used to be known) would today be a thriving tourist line as well as a vital link for the people of the Borders, I've seen several films of the line from when it was open, and for me, it was a much more scenic route than many others that still exist.
Recommend? Yes 20
No 0
-
hazelkaye
224 posts
Nov 24, 19:04
Report commentJinman 72
Indeed, esp as the Scottish Government had just issued its most dubious and highly contentious "RAIL 2014" CONsultation!
What a load of tripe and codswallop - full of "guts and gore" (ie 'offal') or so it thinks - but containing no (f)actual heart!
Recommend? Yes 14
No 0
-
Galaman
1 post
Nov 25, 10:32
Report commentJust because the Alloa and Airdrie-Bathgate lines are doing well, does not mean that the Tweedbank link will.
The former are both in densely-populated, affluent areas, which the Borders is anything but. Indeed the Borders is fast becoming Scotland's granny flat, and has some of the lowest-paid workers in the UK. To compare the Borders with the central belt, is therefore plain nonsensical.
Recommend? Yes 7
No 15
-
Fala
Unregistered User
Nov 26, 07:34
Report commentSo Galaman - we won't bother trying anything to retain our young to boost our local population and industries or perhaps attract others to our area. Should we adopt your philosophy, the area will surely be nothing more than a granny flat.
Recommend? Yes 1
No 15
-
jimtor
6 posts
Nov 28, 23:48
Report commentWhat the reported failed to mention his report was that I was told the reason that no guarantee could be given on the coompletion date was the fact that we may have similar severe weather as in the past 2 years which would obviously affect the completeion date. Despite my email to the editor at the Borders Telegraph pointing this out it was not reported in last weeks edition. I have since posted my information in the Border Telelegraph postbox in Channel street and expect to see the clarification published in next weeks edition. The article was in my opinion sensationalised and has not given the public the full story
Jim Torrance
Recommend? Yes 2
No 2
-
Aoxomoxoa
Unregistered User
Nov 29, 09:05
Report commentFair point, Jim. But snow, unforeseen ground conditions, escalating costs, additional land purchases; they'll all cause delays. Just so we know, did anyone also mention the possibility of legal challenges causing delays to the railway? or are they claiming that everything they plan to do to build this railway is legal?
Recommend? Yes 3
No 2
-
R100ELL
Unregistered User
Dec 10, 09:54
Report commentWhy dont they spend the money they are wasting on the railway to improve the A7 to Edinburgh. I cant see anyone from Edinburgh commuting to the Borders for work. We might commute to Edinburgh but thats just taking more work away from the Borders. Similarly who from Edinburgh would come shopping to the Borders and even with the rail link for us Borderers to go to Edinburgh shopping it would be taking more money out of the Borders.
When are they going to wake up and see the reality of what will happen. Putting a rail link into the Central Borders region will NOT increase tourism to an extent it will make the rail link worthwhile either
Recommend? Yes 2
No 6
-
Desperate Dan
Unregistered User
Dec 12, 18:07
Report commentThe Borders of Scotland is a Beautiful part of the Country but you need Good Transport links from & to your Capital connecting The National Rail Network which then has links to
all parts of The UK & Europe with Eurostar via St Pancras in London .
Tourism is a vital part of Money coming in to distribute to people working & living in &
around areas where The Waverley railway will touch , Cash generates Cash try to be positive .
You have a Great chance to better your Communication links grab what you can to make
your lives better .
Stop being Negative .
I wish the Railway was going from Edinburgh to Carlisle to link to the other part of National Rail Network , explore all options be as Proactive as possible !!
Recommend? Yes 5
No 1
-
Gerry
Unregistered User
Dec 19, 12:29
Report commentI used the Waverly Line frequently in 1967 and on occasion was the only passenger on the train. That is why it closed NO ONE USED it. Does anyone really think people in Jedburgh, Kelso Even St Boswells and Hawick will get in therir cars to drive to Tweedbank to wait for a train to the middle of Edinburgh to get a bus (or perhaps a tram) to the main shopping centres on the outskirts of Edinburgh then cart all the shopping by bus tram train to arrive back at their car to then drive home I doubt it. The cost of four people over a similar distance ie Edinburgh to Glasgow is about £50 to £60 with increases pending cost by car about £15 this train is a non starter and the final cose will be millions more than stated at present look at costs for the Scottish Parliament Building and the Edinburgh Tram Project. A white elephant that might carry five tourists a day. Oh and a white elephant that will have to be paid for for years to come.
Recommend? Yes 1
No 5
Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.
