CBR Chair Simon Walton welcomes the start of construction works, and looks forward to the next phase of the re-opening campaign, south from Tweedbank, in today’s press release:
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4 thoughts on “CBR welcomes start of construction – and looks ahead”
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David Parker says:
It would be great in the long time if the line went down to Hawick, has anyone walk down to Hawick, to see how much of track bed has not been encroached by building on the track bed or very near the track bed or bridges been taken down.?
Donald Rutherford says:
I believe, that the bridge at Belses was demolished years ago.
Donald Rutherford
David Parker says:
I see from going on this website http://www.railbrit.co.uk/Edinburgh_and_Hawick_Railway/frame.htm that part of track bed had been filled, made into part of the by-pass of Melrose.
Paul Kerr says:
Unfortunately there are many obstacles between Tweedbank and Newtown St Boswells in particular; here are the main ones:
1. Embankment at Darnick and several bridges removed where the trackbed runs alongside the Melrose bypass
2. Melrose bypass encroaches on trackbed at Melrose station for a short distance
3. A6091 uses old railway cutting for 3/4 of a mile west of Ravenswood Junction
4. A68 overbridge removed south of Ravenswood Junction
5. A68 Newton St Boswells bypass cuts across alignment
6. Borders Council offices built on trackbed (!) in Newtown St Boswells
7. Bridge over old A68 road in Newton St Boswells removed
Running south from here the trackbed is relatively clear; between St Boswells and the A699 a cutting was filled in along with the road bridge itself, and at least 3 underbridges have been taken down near Belses, but otherwise the trackbed is clear and the bridges along with a viaduct over the Ale Water remain intact.
Doable? Yes, but very expensive. Probably just as expensive as the section of line being reinstated, if not more. As has been demonstrated by the high price of reinstating the Tweedbank to Newcraighall section, we are paying a high price for the short-termist policies of both local and national governments in the period between the 1970’s and mid-1990’s.