What will battery-operated trains mean for the Borders Railway?
Last updated 10th Mar 2023
It's claimed plans to partially electrify the Borders Railway will help make train journeys between Edinburgh and Tweedbank quieter, quicker and more comfortable.
Approval has been given to progress the decarbonisation project to the next phase - with the first battery-powered trains anticipated to arrive in 2025.
Local councillor David Parker is welcoming the announcement, which will spell the end of the line for older diesel trains.
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He told Radio Borders: "What decarbonisation will mean is that the line will be partially electrified from Tweedbank to, say, north of Galashiels, and also in Midlothian; and then battery-operated trains will operate in the middle.
"These trains will be brand new; there will have to be new rolling stock on the Borders Railway, and that will mean more comfortable trains, quieter trains and trains that make journey times much more punctual and speed that up.
"Although there is no firm timescale for the decarbonisation works to take place, it is very likely that work to upgrade the line can commence in the next 18 months."
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And he added: "I would hope that by the end of 2025 the line will be decarbonised and there will be significant improvements to the quality of the trains and the service passengers experience on the Borders Railway."