BORDERS EXTENSION TO BE STUDIED

TRANSPORT SCOTLAND is to ask Jacobs UK to carry out a study looking at improving transport in the south of Scotland. The findings will help inform a refresh of the Scottish Government’s Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR), which will look at transport proposals for the whole of Scotland.

Among the projects to be considered will be an extension of the Borders Railway from the current terminus at Tweedbank onwards to Hawick and Carlisle. The line to Tweedbank opened in September 2015 and passenger numbers have comfortably exceeded forecasts; locals have campaigned strongly for the line to be extended further along the former Waverley route towards Carlisle.

The study was expected to start by the end of April and will take around seven months to complete.