What Happens Next?

In the 23-month procurement period which began in December 2009, Transport Scotland will be looking to bidders to come up with proposals that are not just cost-effective within the budget of £200m-£230m, but also innovative and imaginative in widening the role of the railway and the economic, social and environmental benefits to Midlothian and the Borders. CBR is urging the two bidding consortia to explore opportunities identified by the campaign and by the Waverley Route Trust for:

  • strong community involvement in the promotion of the railway
  • the development of tourist charter (and in the longer term freight) traffic
  • encouragement of these markets through construction of a short chord line at Millerhill Yard on the edge of Edinburgh and ‘passive’ provision for a freight depot at Tweedbank

Key milestones in the planned procurement programme are:

  • March 2011 – submission of detailed solutions
  • July 2011 – submission of final tenders
  • November 2011 – confirmation of preferred bidder
  • 2014 – start of train services from Edinburgh to Midlothian stations, Stow, Galashiels and Tweedbank

Train services will be part of the ScotRail franchise funded by the Scottish Government, operated by the same company running services throughout the rest of Scotland. The trains to be used on the Borders Railway are likely to be one of the following two types already operated extensively throughout the Scottish network:

  • the Class 158 – the Class 158 – 2-coach air-conditioned trains with 138 seats and two dedicated bike spaces, plus two toilets
  • the Class 170 – 3-coach air-conditioned trains providing 190 seats, with two dedicated bike spaces and two flexible bike / wheelchair spaces, plus two toilets

In addition to the progress of the procurement programme, further advance engineering works, principally the diversion of water and gas mains, electricity cables, etc, are being undertaken in 2010-11.

Class 158 diesel
Class 170 diesel