In anticipation of the forthcoming issue of the Invitation to Tender for the next ScotRail franchise, CBR has written to Transport Scotland urging the government agency to ensure (1) that the trains used on the Borders Railway are modified to carry 6 cycle spaces per 3-car unit, and (2) that “the timetable specification should ensure that an appropriate number of spare paths be reserved for both regular and occasional charter use at off-peak times during the week and on Saturdays; the times of maximum demand in the charter market.”

See link below:

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CBR has questioned Transport Scotland’s failure to ensure that the Borders Railway is ’future proofed’ to allow cost-effective double-tracking in the future. In its response [see link below] to the Network Rail planning application for a new road bridge to carry the A7 over the single-track railway at Falahill, the Campaign has advised Scottish Borders Council that “Our position in relation to the latest proposals for Falahill is that we cannot offer our support unless the A7 road bridge is redesigned to provide double-track clearances for the railway.”

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Responding to the new road plan proposed by Network Rail, CBR has made an official submission to Scottish Borders Council (see link below) advising that “Our position in relation to the latest proposals for Falahill is that we cannot offer our support unless the A7 road bridge is redesigned to provide double-track clearances.”

The planned railway will be single-track at Falahill, but CBR argues that as part of a sensible ‘future proofing’ strategy, the bridge must provide ‘passive provision’ for a future double-track railway at this key location, just a few miles from the southern end of the Fushiebridge-Tynehead loop.

The CBR submission warns SBC that “Our own research, based on Scottish Local Authorities’ asset valuation data, suggests that the costs of rebuilding over a ‘live’ railway may be ten times as much as the additional cost of building a wider bridge at the outset.”

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The full details of the events taking place in Hawick and tickets for the Q&A session can be booked by calling 0131 244 2262 or emailing visitsandevents@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

CBR urges local members to attend the public question & answer session in connection with the forthcoming Scottish Cabinet meeting being held in Hawick on 20th and 21st August – the Q&A session is at Hawick High School at 12.45 on Wednesday 21st.

To coincide with the meeting, CBR has submitted a Briefing Paper to the Cabinet, setting out the case for the Scottish Government and Scottish Borders Council to start planning for a rail extension from Tweedbank to Hawick, as a vital first step towards Carlisle (see link below).

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CBR has responded to the Scottish Government’s draft National Planning Framework 3, noting that the reinstatement of the Borders to Carlisle link is supported by the South East Scotland Strategic Development Plan. CBR argues that, in the interests of joined-up policy – and for the region to truly prosper – the extension of the railway should be adopted as a ‘National Development’ in NPF3. For details, see links below.

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CBR has responded to Network Rail’s draft Long Distance Market Study for consultation (see link below). Key points raised by CBR were:

1. Is NR’s analysis model perhaps overly biased towards flows where reasonable long-distance rail services already exist, unlike the situation in the Central Borders?

2. The study should treat the Scottish Borders as a ‘single economic area analogous to a city-region’ in the same way that the North Wales Coast or Cornwall have been.

3. Subsequent stages of the study should carefully examine the case for reinstatement of the Carlisle–Borders–Edinburgh link as a more cost effective means of addressing Anglo-Scottish capacity problems in the shorter term.

130627 LTPP-LDMS CBR Response

Following yesterday’s launch of substantive engineering works, The Scotsman today reviews the progress of the rail re-opening project, quoting CBR Chair Simon Walton and rail consultant/author (and CBR member) David Spaven. In contrast to the many stories about the ‘troubled’ Borders Railway in past years, the tone of coverage is now noticeably more positive!

http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/transport/350m-borders-railway-work-begins-1-2901446

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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Another milestone in the return of the railway was reached today, with Transport Minister Keith Brown officially launching the start of substantive construction works, as reported by The Scotsman:

http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/350m-borders-railway-work-begins-1-2901446