'Bureaucratic blockage' blamed for delay to study into feasibility of extending the Borders Railway
Last updated 10th Mar 2023
It's emerged a "bureaucratic blockage" may be preventing the start on work on a study into the feasibility of extending the Borders Railway.
Both the UK and Scottish governments pledged £5 million each towards the project THREE YEARS AGO.
And, as yet, there's been no indication over when it will happen.
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However, the Secretary of State for Scotland has confirmed he is committed to the study following a meeting with Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk MP John Lamont earlier today (Wednesday).
MP Alister Jack, who was reappointed to his role by the new Prime Minister yesterday, said he understands the importance of the project to people in the Borders.
He also told Mr Lamont that he will urgently speak with his colleagues in government to push the study forward.
Mr Lamont said: “I am continuing to apply pressure on both the UK and Scottish governments to get on with this work to extend the Borders Railway.
“This was a positive meeting with the Secretary of State where he reaffirmed his commitment to the Borderlands Growth Deal and £10 million package for the Borders Railway extension.
“He told me he will press this issue directly with the new Transport Secretary and hopefully get things moving as quickly as possible.
“It is important that we do not lose any more time with this. Communities along the railway line, like Hawick and Newcastleton, need this important investment now.”
The Campaign for Borders Rail - which is holding its AGM in Galashiels this weekend - has always championed the case to extend the line all the way to Carlisle, which has been estimated to cost upwards of £1 billion.
But, speaking in the summer, former local authority convener David Parker, who's been re-elected to the ward which includes the current rail terminus in Tweedbank, believes one way to get the project back on track is to focus on building the next stage of the line to Hawick.
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Hawick councillor Clair Ramage, who's a member of the local lobby group, isn't ruling anything out. She said: "It needs to be completed all the way to Carlisle but we need to start somewhere; and, if it came to Hawick - brilliant!
"If people can travel further for work and come back home to spend their money it will reinvigorate the town.
"We've got the feasibility money, why we're not doing that now concerns me. We need to really push on; I don't want this to happen in 20-30 years, I want it to happen immediately."