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Friday, 18th December 2009 Change Date

We Will Rock You - see it in Edinburgh this Christmas

Track clear for Borders rail link tendering

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Published Date: 03 November 2009
THE tender process for the £295 million Borders rail link is set to begin by the end of the year.
Finance Secretary John Swinney said paperwork was being finalised to allow the formal announcement of Transport Scotland's intention to let the contract before Christmas.

Mr Swinney said the recent economic slowdown had meant it had been necessar
y to carry out further marketing testing before launching the tendering process.

He said: " This data has provided the necessary assurance that economic conditions are now favourable to run a procurement exercise and I look forward to the formal process getting under way before the end of this calendar year.

"This Scottish Government has always made its commitment to this vital public transport link clear. Providing a fast, efficient link connecting communities in the Scottish Borders and Midlothian to Edinburgh will be a significant catalyst for economic growth in the region."

Local MSPs had raised questions about the Scottish Government's commitment to the project following the decision to axe the Glasgow Airport rail link in September.

Formerly known as the Waverley line, the Borders rail link has been on the agenda since 2000, when the Scottish Parliament voted to restore it, but has been repeatedly delayed.





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  • Last Updated: 03 November 2009 9:04 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

,

03/11/2009 12:37:50
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
2

alfonsa pedrosa,

embra 03/11/2009 12:40:53
Great move,this will open up a first class way of travel to the borders leaving your car at home.
3

Roblx,

03/11/2009 13:40:57
Yes its going ahead but delayed by yet another year. New completion date 2014. The contract isn't due to be awarded until Autumn 2011! Only the Scottish government could take 2 years to award a contract for this size of scheme!
4

Single Minded,

03/11/2009 13:46:36
This is the best news I've heard in a long time - great for the Scottish Borders and great for Midlothian. New houses close to the new railway stations in Midlothian especially will suddenly rocket in value though and will become scarce because of the quick link straight in to Edinburgh City Centre.
At long last some positive progress - well done John Swinney and the team.
5

Roblx,

03/11/2009 13:52:16
#4 "well done John Swinney"! it is due to him and his SNP colleagues that this project is now running 2 years late! if they get their way it will go the same way as the Glasgow airport rail link, in the bucket!
6

Single Minded,

03/11/2009 13:58:28
#5 ...no well done to him for holding on to this project and for making this announcement at such a difficult time. Are you totally unaware of the reasons for the recent delays?
7

Roblx,

03/11/2009 14:13:21
#6 the current Scottish government have been trying to delay this project from the day they took office and have been doing so very well, in the hope that it can be seen to fail and be abandoned. If they had any concern for reducing road use this would have been kept on schedule along with various other projects rather than wasting money on nationalist projects such as Gaelic road signs in parts of Scotland that never spoke the language.
8

Toast,

03/11/2009 14:42:48
Sorry but I live in the borders and nobody wants this waste of money except a few politicians and "business leaders",it will almost double journey time to Edinburgh and as a single track will run infrequently,this money would have been far better spent on upgrading our road network,a line to Gorebridge and Newtongrange makes sense as these are commuter towns but taking it to Gala is just insanity
9

Roblx,

03/11/2009 15:04:54
#8 Each to there own thoughts, I live in the borders also and know of lots of people who want this line. Yes it maybe slow but just look at the parking chaos caused by Edinburgh council extending the controlled zones, which no doubt will get larger over time. With the bottle neck that is Sherrifhall roundabout the car commute time from the south & east of Edinburgh will only get longer. This if run properly could be a good thing for people from the Borders & Midlothian. Anything to reduce the number of cars commuting to Edinburgh is a good thing in my book. As for the travel time, I think double is a bit pessimistic when it takes at least 1 hour to get from Melrose to the centre of Edinburgh for a 9am start by car and I believe the projected journey time for the railway isn't much over 1 hour 20mins.
10

Thomas the Tank,

Edinburgh 03/11/2009 15:41:46
Funny, this bland recycling of a government press release isn't QUITE how Alastair Dalton of the Evening Chip-Wrapper's sister paper put it this morning's Scotsman -"MINISTERS are to renege on their commitment to start construction of the Borders railway line before the Scottish election in 2011 . . ."
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland/Ministers-fail-to-honour-promise.5788318.jp
11

Andrew,

Never, Never, No Not Ever Land! 03/11/2009 15:44:52
Bodrer Rail Link contract is due to go out to tender in December 2009!
The GARL contract was due to go out to tender in Dec 2008 BUT IT MYSTERIOUSLY, NEVER DID!! We all know what subsequently transpired (or should that be CONSPIRED)
eight months later on THAT issue, so don't hold your breath on this one either! Cue for yet another negative "ministerial budget statement" sometime late next summer?
12

Single Minded,

03/11/2009 15:56:34
.... Build it and they will come!!! Quicker the better!!
I just love reading all the lazy and predictable negativity and cynicism on just about every subject going..... it really makes my day.
13

Andrew,

at 11 03/11/2009 16:56:03
12) I totally agree! It's the getting to the actual re-building stage that's going to be the problem!!!
14

Andrew,

03/11/2009 17:06:08
GO TO PAGE 3 (!!!) of these self-same EN webpages for a story re its delay until 2014!! Joined-up story-writing is obviously a bit of an EN problem!

 

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