Rosemary Goring is a journalist who lives in the Scottish Borders. Yesterday her article ‘Why I’m becoming a Borders Railway believer’ was published on The Times website.
Here are a few key extracts:
‘The feasibility study, which will include public consultation, will not be a swift process, nor is its outcome a foregone conclusion…. We can anticipate lively debate in the months to come…..Yet the advantages of completing the line greatly outweigh the disadvantages. The climate emergency makes improved rail travel an essential part of the UK’s net-zero commitment, which needs all the help it can get. Other benefits will follow. At the moment, west coast and east coast lines bring tourists to the central belt and the Highlands and Islands, but do not touch the Borders….the potential to open up the area for investment, employment and recreation is incalculable.’
She goes on: ‘But having been gently chided by one of the indefatigable Borders Rail campaigners for suggesting this extension won’t be operational in my lifetime — a lapse into Scottish miserabilism I now regret — I’m starting to believe it could be achieved before I reach for the Zimmer.’ I guess a lot of us can identify with that.
Like many quality news sources, The Times operates a paywall, so it’s not possible to read the full article without a subscription or buying a print copy but the link below takes you to Rosemary’s article. The article was featured online on Tuesday 25th March and in the Times’ Alba supplement on Saturday 29th March
Notes for editors:
The Campaign for Borders Rail is a long-established pressure group promoting the benefits of modern train services for communities across the Borderlands. Our grassroots campaign saw the rail link from Edinburgh to the Scottish Borders reopened. Now we’re lobbying to extend the popular Borders Railway onward to Hawick and Carlisle. Visit the Campaign website for further details.
For further comment, contact Secretary John Liddle secretary@campaignforbordersrail.org