Extending the Borders Railway would be 'transformative' for the region
Report reveals train journey times between Tweedbank and Carlisle ahead of feasibility study
Last updated 10th Mar 2023
Journey times between Galashiels and Hawick could be slashed to 19 minutes - if the Borders Railway is extended.
Trips between the current rail terminus in Tweedbank and Carlisle would also be almost halved - from 93 minutes to 51 minutes, according to figures contained in a new report highlighting the economic benefits of restoring the line.
The £31,000 project was commissioned by the Campaign for Borders Rail while it awaits the start of work on a £10 million feasibility study.
The group's vice-chairman Nick Bethune told Radio Borders: "It would be transformative.
"We've already seen what it's done for Galashiels, Stow and stations in Midlothian; it's almost taken for granted now that the railway is here. Let's take that and apply that to the rest of the region."
Other times given to the group by consultants Arcadis include a 15 minute journey by rail between Tweedbank and Hawick, compared to 30 minutes by car; and 36 minutes between Hawick and Carlisle, compared to 60 minutes on the road.
"The train is going to halve the journey times," Nick said. "It means that you can get there in safety and comfort, and it's going to be far quicker than existing bus services.
"It's always been assumed that going through the Borders would be slow. What this work shows is you can achieve journey times between Edinburgh and Carlisle that are comparable with existing journey times on the West Coast Main Line.
"What that means is you can divert trains onto the Borders route, and free up capacity on the West Coast Line for freight and long-distance passenger services.
"We saw, only a few years ago, the West Coast Main Line blocked for months because of a wash out on a bridge there, and there was no alternative viable to connect Carlisle with Edinburgh. So we want to see that resilience on the railway, especially with climate change."
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Meanwhile, the chairman of Newcastleton and District Community Trust is voicing concerns over growing calls for the Borders Railway to be extended in two stages, in the hope only concentrating on rebuilding as far as Hawick could speed up the restoration of the former Waverley Line.
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Greg Cuthbert - who blames frustration over delays to a feasibility study - believes it's a non-starter.
"A lot may be happy with that," he admitted. "But it will never be a full railway line unless it goes all the way to Carlisle. You must link the two cities. The only way it brings in economic benefit to the south of Scotland, and to Scotland, is if you link England with Scotland - it's the only way."
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