Borders Railway extension 'dead in the water', according to region's transport chief
Last updated 27th Jan 2022
It's claimed any plans to extend the Borders Railway are "dead in the water" while the SNP-led Scottish Government continues to pursue independence.
The controversial comments strike a blow to campaigners in Hawick, Newcastleton and further afield, who have been championing the case for the route between Edinburgh and the Borders to be fully restored.
They were made at this morning's meeting of Scottish Borders Council by the local authority's Executive Member for Infrastructure, Travel and Transport, Gordon Edgar.
The independent member for Selkirkshire was speaking during a discussion on the regional transport strategy, which raised concerns over the lack of commitment to restoring the line between Tweedbank and Carlisle.
Addressing fellow councillors, Councillor Edgar - who is a member of the council's Conservative-led administration - said: "I do support the extension of the Borders Railway. I think it would be an excellent project to move forward. But, while the Scottish Government is set on splitting the country with their independence, I think that that project is now dead in the water."
Council leader Mark Rowley stressed that the council is "110 per cent" behind the project, and will do all it can to push the case for the extension of the Borders Railway through to Carlisle.
He said: "The cul de sac of a railway to Tweedbank has been a huge success; it's already delivering for the Borders - it's delivering jobs, it's delivering economic investment and it's delivering a better quality of life.
"We have to extend that opportunity through to Hawick and on to Carlisle to connect with the rest of the Borderlands region.
"That is an utter priority for me as leader at the moment, that is an utter priority for this administration; and I accept it is a huge priority for the council in its entirety; and I will be utterly tireless in making the case to UK ministers and Scottish ministers and to anyone who will listen.
"It is the most sensible thing we can do in the south of Scotland in terms of transport infrastructure. It's vital for freight, it's vital for timber, it's vital for rural connectivity, it's vital for connecting us into the north of England, to Cumbria and Carlisle, to the northern powerhouse and the rest of the UK.
"So, whatever members take away from this debate, nobody in this meeting should be in any doubt whatsoever of this council's 110 per cent commitment to pursuing the extension of the Borders Railway to Carlisle relentlessly."