Callum Johnstone
2004-02-05 09:01:10 UTC
Source: The Scotsman
05/02/04
Borders community rail study bids to cut £129m cost
WILLIAM CHISHOLM
The possibility of developing a community-owned railway to serve the
Borders for less than the £129million Waverley project will be
investigated in a new study.
It is believed the investigation could have national implications at a
time when rail construction costs are escalating at an unprecedented
rate.
The Waverley Route Trust (WRT) announced yesterday it had commissioned
consultants to assess innovative ideas for application to the Borders
rail route. The move came after The Scotsman revealed that the
proposed single-track Edinburgh-Galashiels line could not be viable
beyond Gorebridge.
It is hoped the findings of the study, expected by the end of April,
will address concerns that a conventional railway proposal will fail
to generate sufficient value for money to secure Scottish Executive
capital funding.
The trust claims the research is necessary given the cost - more than
£4 million a mile - of building 31 miles of track under the scheme
promoted by a partnership of local authorities.
The consultants will examine various options, including more powerful
trains to negotiate the steep gradients between Edinburgh and
Galashiels, and an express passenger service taking under 50 minutes
from Tweedbank to Edinburgh Waverley.
Petra Biberbach, who chairs the WRT, said: "The revelation that there
is no business case for the line south of Gorebridge comes as no
surprise. The partnership has been constrained by the framework for
the railway set by the Executive in 2001."
Robert Samson, the director of the Rail Passengers Committee, said the
study was "potentially ground-breaking".
05/02/04
Borders community rail study bids to cut £129m cost
WILLIAM CHISHOLM
The possibility of developing a community-owned railway to serve the
Borders for less than the £129million Waverley project will be
investigated in a new study.
It is believed the investigation could have national implications at a
time when rail construction costs are escalating at an unprecedented
rate.
The Waverley Route Trust (WRT) announced yesterday it had commissioned
consultants to assess innovative ideas for application to the Borders
rail route. The move came after The Scotsman revealed that the
proposed single-track Edinburgh-Galashiels line could not be viable
beyond Gorebridge.
It is hoped the findings of the study, expected by the end of April,
will address concerns that a conventional railway proposal will fail
to generate sufficient value for money to secure Scottish Executive
capital funding.
The trust claims the research is necessary given the cost - more than
£4 million a mile - of building 31 miles of track under the scheme
promoted by a partnership of local authorities.
The consultants will examine various options, including more powerful
trains to negotiate the steep gradients between Edinburgh and
Galashiels, and an express passenger service taking under 50 minutes
from Tweedbank to Edinburgh Waverley.
Petra Biberbach, who chairs the WRT, said: "The revelation that there
is no business case for the line south of Gorebridge comes as no
surprise. The partnership has been constrained by the framework for
the railway set by the Executive in 2001."
Robert Samson, the director of the Rail Passengers Committee, said the
study was "potentially ground-breaking".