Extending the Borders Railway Join the Conversation - Robbie Turnbull SDH

[@winco68]

Without doubt reinstating the route in full would be great for local people but would it be cost effective? Firstly extend from Tweedbank to Hawick and then asses whether Carlisle is viable or doable. The area south of Hawick is sparsely populated and some structures are missing others need to be rebuilt or replaced - the cost will be huge. On the flip side tourism and local travellers would benefit and timber traffic as well as through passenger and freight trains could use the route. This would largely be dependent upon rebuilding as a double track route including upgrading the existing 35 miles to double track. It’s going to be a big ask in a post Covid environment of squeezed budgets. Realistically I can’t see it happening.

[@simonpitt8145]

It won't.

[@ChangesOneTim]

Not local, but my read of various sources suggests that if rail connectivity was ever to be restored south of Tweedbank, if not Hawick, most Borders folk who travel south head towards Newcastle/ NE England. Market demand towards Carlisle/ NW England therefore doesn't appear to be strong enough to support a business case sadly. I get what folk in the Newcastleton area are saying, but population/ catchment along Liddesdale and south of Hawick generally appears to be small. As to the Borders Railway that has reopened, I travelled it for the first time in June 2024 and found the service truly impressive and (despite off-peak journeys in dampish weather) popular. Locals can count themselves lucky to be in Scotland! I cannot see that the Whitehall-based DfT would have made similar happen; in England Okehampton only happened because the infrastructure was mothballed and Blyth infrastructure was still open for freight-only.

[@robertday8619]

The MASK is not necessary!

[@ChangesOneTim]

Think you'll find this was filmed during or immediately after lockdown.