Borders rail link back on track

THE Scottish Government is this week expected to give its full backing to the stalled Borders rail link.

Plans to reopen the Waverley line from Edinburgh to Tweedbank were thrown into doubt last summer when Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said the project was going to be more expensive than first thought.

The funding gap was identified as part of a Transport Scotland review of the project, estimated to cost at least £175 million.

This review was passed to ministers in January and Mr Stevenson is now set to give the project his blessing in an announcement on Wednesday. Further details on how the unspecified funding gap will be met are also expected.

Mr Stevenson had previously said it was up to the local authorities involved to meet the shortfall though it is thought the Government's new Scottish Futures Trust bond scheme may play some role in funding the project.

A completion date of 2011 is now highly unlikely but project insiders are hopeful that the delay may only add an extra year on to the delivery date. Opposition politicians today called on the Scottish Government to foot the bill for the extra costs associated with the delay.

Christine Grahame, SNP MSP for South of Scotland, said: "I am absolutely delighted with this. We have taken a long time to get to this stage but the new Government was absolutely right to go through the due diligence process."

The first Waverley line, which closed in 1969, ran from the city through the Borders to Carlisle.

Jeremy Purvis, Lib Dem MSP for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale, said: "I understand that the 'due diligence' process that has been carried out by the Scottish Government has shown that the business case is robust. Clarity is needed on the funding package and the Government's commitment to fund any gap."

The Scottish Government is contributing around £154m, with the remaining £21m from local authorities, including £2m from Edinburgh, and developers.

Transport Scotland is set to take over the Waverley line project from the local authorities. A Scottish Government spokesman would not be drawn on the future of the project ahead of Wednesday's ministerial statement.

Midlothian Labour MSP Rhona Brankin said: "I'll be very disappointed if there's any backsliding on the previous Scottish Executive's support."

• www.waverleyrailwayproject.co.uk