Business Case Timeline for Borders Railway Extension
An outline business case for extending the Borders Railway to Carlisle is anticipated to be delivered by late next year.
Funding for a feasibility study to extend the line beyond its current terminus at Tweedbank was confirmed over a year ago. Despite this, campaigners have expressed frustration over the duration of the process.
A report presented to Scottish Borders Council (SBC) indicated that consultants are expected to be appointed by early next month.
The report stated that the business case process is projected to take approximately 18 months to complete, although efforts will be made to collaborate with all stakeholders to explore possibilities for reducing the timeline.
Background and Progress
The Borders Railway, connecting Edinburgh Waverley and Tweedbank, officially opened in September 2015. Since its inauguration, there have been ongoing calls to extend the railway to Carlisle.
In 2021, both the Scottish and UK governments agreed to jointly fund a £10 million feasibility study as part of the Borderlands Growth Deal.
Turner and Townsend were appointed as senior project managers in March of the previous year.
Currently, consultancy work to support the strategic outline business case (SOBC) is out to tender, with appointments expected to be finalized next month.
The estimated cost for this consultancy work is approximately £1 million, aimed at delivering an "extremely robust" business case.
A report will be submitted back to the council to confirm the appointment of consultants. Additionally, a dedicated webpage is being developed on the council’s website to provide regular updates on the project's progress.
