Track Complete on Railway to the Borders

The final piece of track will be laid on a new rail link between Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders this morning. The 30-mile route to Tweedbank is the longest domestic railway to be built in the UK for 100 years. Engineers started laying the track on the outskirts of the Capital back in October and this morning Transport Minister Keith Brown will be on the first train to travel the length of the route to clip the final section into place. It's forty years since trains ran from Edinburgh, through Midlothian and on to the Borders. The first passengers are due to start using the new service in September. There's still some work to do though with the construction of several new stations yet to be finished. Transport Minister Keith Brown "The reopening of this line offers a once in a generation opportunity to deliver a major economic and social boost for the communities it will serve. "In just a few short months, trains will be carrying passengers to employment, social and study opportunities, as well as bringing visitors and investors to the communities all along the route. "We can expect the Scottish economy to benefit by tens of millions of pounds from its reopening".