The Waverley Railway Project is an initiative to provide a passenger train service from Edinburgh through Midlothian to the central Borders area in Scotland which currently has no connection to the national rail network.

The joint promoters of the scheme are Scottish Borders Council, The City of Edinburgh Council and Midlothian Council, supported by Scottish Enterprise Borders. Transport Scotland is expected to take over the role of authorised undertaker as soon as the transition of the powers to do so have been agreed between the promoter and Transport Scotland.

Site investigation and topographic survey works are underway and work has recently commenced on the detailed design of the railway.

Given the length of the route – 35 miles – relatively few properties are affected by plans for the rail line. However the owners of properties and land that may be affected by the reintroduction of the rail line have already been contacted and consulted regarding the proposals.

Route plans are available at Council offices. Draft station layouts are provided on this website in the Proposed Route and Stations section.

The route has been identified as running between Edinburgh Waverley through Midlothian to Tweedbank, just south of Galashiels. This route has been subject to extensive technical assessments and consultation with property and land owners. The final route allows for the best options in terms of engineering, environment, property, traffic flows, finances and economics. It is anticipated the route will extend beyond Waverley to Haymarket and beyond.

The proposed route, which extends from Edinburgh Waverley to Tweedbank just south of Galashiels, is a distance of approximately 35 miles (56km). It incorporates 10 stations, 3 existing and 7 new stations

There are 7 new stations planned are Shawfair, Eskbank, Newtongrange and Gorebridge in Midlothian, Stow, Galashiels and Tweedbank in the Scottish Borders. On instruction by the Waverley Railway (Scotland) Bill Committee, the station at Stow has also been included. The number and location of stations are based on the predicted number of passengers that will use them.

In giving the Council a grant to take the railway project through to deposition of a Parliamentary Bill, the Minister set two conditions:

• to examine the options of terminal point in Galashiels, in Tweedbank or in Charlesfield.
• to maximise the private sector financial contribution from the development of land arising for the reopening of the railway.

The work that has been done so far indicates that it should be possible to secure a significant level of funding from the development that may be expected to take place in Galashiels, Melrose and surrounding areas.

The Structure Plan has identified the growth area as the central hub, but modifications to the plan by the Minister has reduced the amount of land to be developed in the area significantly over the next ten years.

There is currently only very limited interest from developers in the St Boswells / Charlesfield area, and some expensive drainage constraints to be overcome. Including Charlesfield and Melrose/Galashiels development area in the route would be a gross excess of land supply over demand and would undermine the market price, thus eliminating the potential market gain on which funding relies.

Consequently there is little scope to create either a viable level of rail traffic or to secure a financial contribution from developers at Charlesfield in the short term.

The railway construction costs are also very high, perhaps adding substantially to the overall project costs, due to the construction of the Melrose by-pass on the former line and the environmental and archaeological constraints.

Borders Council has a desire to extend the line in the future.

For places south of Tweedbank, Scottish Borders Council is committed to:

• a quality park-&-ride facility at Tweedbank with fast access to the A6091 Trunk Road for access to all points south.
• integrated bus services every 30 minutes to Selkirk and Hawick meeting every train.
• integrated bus services to Melrose and St Boswells, alternately serving Kelso or Jedburgh, meeting every train.

It has always been an aspiration of Scottish Borders Council to extend the railway to Carlisle. This remains an objective for the future.

Given the Waverley Railway Project's task of finding the fastest and most direct route from Edinburgh to the Central Scottish Borders, following the original Waverley route was by far the most cost effective, as much of the corridor remained intact and many structures still remain. Routes were discounted because of distance and time. This does not however rule out specific links to these areas to and from Edinburgh in the future. This remains a longer term objective for the Councils involved.

With regard to Penicuik, Midlothian Council has undertaken a multi-modal study to explore the possibilities of public transport links along the A701 corridor, crossing the A720 at Straiton. This study examined, amongst other things, the relative benefits of a Guided Bus way and Light or Heavy Rail. The study concluded that improvements to bus operations in the corridor should be progressed in the short term with heavy rail being considered in the medium to long term.

In connection with Dalkeith, the proposed route is the most appropriate for links between Edinburgh, Midlothian and the Central Borders. However, Midlothian Council is committed to providing good transport links between the proposed stations at Shawfair, Eskbank, Newtongrange and Gorebridge and other major population centres, such as Dalkeith.

All the stations and all other railway support infrastructure will be designed and built to the same legal safety specifications as apply throughout the UK's railways. For instance, where closed circuit television and public telephones are required to aid security of rail passengers and staff, they will be installed. All stations will be covered by excellent lighting and weather shelters and will have secure facilities for bicycles, such as racks and/or lockers.

It is Scottish Borders Council's aim to reduce traffic congestion in Galashiels town centre, which is why the park and ride facility has been proposed at Tweedbank, which has good access to the A7 and A68 for towns in the Borders south of Galashiels. Indeed, the proposed site of Galashiels station has been chosen specifically for its proximity to the existing bus station, the taxi rank and the proportion of the town's population who will be within easy walking distance. Consequently, it is intended that Galashiels will have a specially designed inter-modal transport link, lessening the need for people to use their cars in the town centre.

There are still significant lengths of track bed and bridges in place along the line. However, technical investigations have identified the need to upgrade these structures to provide a suitably reliable rail line.

Safety will be of the utmost importance at all stages. The detailed technical assessment has treated this as a key issue and the design and construction will meet Her Majesty’s Rail Inspectorate (HMRI) safety legislation standards.

Shawfair is a new development in Midlothian featuring some 4,000 new houses along with substantial business/economic development. A master plan for the area has been produced and detailed planning for the development is underway.

Details of the Shawfair development are available from Midlothian Council on 0131 270 7500. A location plan for the station, which will be located in the heart of the development, is available in the Proposed Route and Stations section of this website.

No. The Waverley line already has the 'paths' for a 30-minute frequency service thanks to Crossrail and as such does not depend on the upgrading of Waverley Station. However, the upgrading work which has already begun in Waverley Station will help to improve services for all passengers.

The remit given to the Waverley Railway Partnership by the former Minister for Transport, Sarah Boyack, was to investigate the viability of an affordable passenger service only. However, the Waverley Railway Project will not preclude provision for carrying freight in the future if affordable.

At present Waverley Project is obliged to:

• Ensure that any structures that may be built are designed to be suitable for freight at a later date if required.
• Not undertake any works or realignment that would inhibit future freight.
• Ensure that the line can eventually be extended beyond the initial terminus.

It is not expected that any specific capacity for freight operation will be made; neither is it expected that any additional expenditure will be incurred to meet freight standards by upgrading any existing structures, which are being, brought back into reuse.

For a half hourly passenger service, there is a need only for a single tracked line with passing loops. There are three proposed passing loops of between 2 and 4 miles each in length. Combined with the sections north of Newcraighall to Waverley Station and the short stretch by Tweedbank Station, this means that over 15 miles of the 36 miles, or nearly half of the route, will be double-tracked.

Yes. Originally when the business case for the route was prepared it was on the basis of a twin track railway being built. It was decided for reasons of cost that the rail route would function as effectively using single track incorporating three 'dynamic loops' or passing places. These will be located at Shawfair, Gorebridge and Stow.

No. This option would be too expensive to construct and operate and would not offer value for money at the present time.

The current cost estimate for the project is approximately £174.45m at 2011 prices.

Transport Scotland is currently undertaking a due-diligence review of the project as it prepares to take on the role of authorised undertaker for the railway, a role that it is assuming at the behest of the previous government.

The cost of putting the Bill through Parliament was £5.7m.

The Scottish Government's transport agency (Transport Scotland), is the primary funder of the project. It is committed to funding £115m at 2002 prices (index linked), and the remainder will come from local contributions in the form of planning gain and other sources. There will not be a council tax levy.

There is a wide range of benefits that the route would bring to the Scottish economy as a whole and particularly those regions around the route corridor.

The original Waverley Railway line was axed after the Beeching Plan which predicted a national decline in rail traffic. It focused entirely on long distance intercity passenger and freight services without due regard to the needs of local areas. Since then there have been major improvements to rail technology. Railways are now increasingly important to solve local travel needs and reduce the environmental impacts of road traffic and road congestion. There has consequently been a major resurgence in the demand for rail travel. As a result there is much more government emphasis today on improving public transport in order to provide an integrated public transport network.

All the councils in the Waverley Railway Partnership are committed to integrated public transport as members of the South East of Scotland Transport Partnership. It is probable that bus services will act, where possible, as 'feeder' services to the railway, although this will have to be decided after negotiations with local bus service providers. In addition, bus operators may wish to provide commercial services.

Generally the train will offer quicker journeys than the equivalent bus services and will also offer direct links to areas that do not currently have a direct bus link.

Individuals judged to be 'affected' by the project will have been contacted by the Waverley Railway Project's Consultation Manager. These discussions are naturally a matter for the individual and the Project Manager.

In some areas, this will be the case but because the route follows the old railway line then not many properties will come into this category. Discussions are still ongoing with those affected by the proposed route. Those that feel they are affected and have not been contacted, should contact the information line on 0800 652 3406.

The route is fixed by the Act of the Scottish Parliament. A final design stage is currently underway and this will provide greater detail, but all the works will remain within the limits of deviation approved by the Scottish Parliament.

Absolutely. The public has had an opportunity to make comment on the plans, and any such comments were considered and where possible implemented as part of the consultation process.

Contact the help desk on tel: 0800 652 3406 or
Email: info@waverleyrailwayproject.co.uk

The consultation which took place as part of the Bill submission showed that 94% of respondents stated that they were 'in favour of the re-opening of passenger rail services between Edinburgh and the central Scottish Borders.' As importantly 90% of respondents said they would actually use the service.

Significant public support was evident earlier with more than 17,200 people signing a petition in favour of the re-opening.

There is also substantial business support for the re-opening of the route.

A full environmental impact assessment (EIA) has been carried out in parallel with the detailed technical assessments, covering both construction and operational impacts. The results of this were presented in an Environmental Statement as part of the Bill submission available on the parliamentary website.

All construction works will be carried out within the legal requirements and the best practicable means will be used to ensure that the environmental impact of constructing the scheme is minimised. The potential impact of the operational scheme in terms of noise and vibration and air quality will be assessed in detail as part of the EIA. Measures to avoid or reduce all identified impacts will be incorporated into the scheme to ensure that noise and vibration and air quality from operation are reduced to a practicable minimum. As part of the Parliamentary evidence the promoter submitted a Code of Construction Practice which the construction contractor will be obliged to adhere to.

The Black Path is actually the route of the previous Waverley Line, which was closed in 1969. Every effort will be made by engineers from the Waverley Railway Project to replace these paths where possible and practicable.

The cycle track at the back of Eskbank is part of the national cycle network and lies on the route of the previous Waverley Line. The Waverley Railway Partnership has been in discussions with Sustrans to ensure adequate alternative routes are provided. In establishing replacement routes the opportunity has also been taken to develop proposals to complete some 'missing links' in the network between Dalkeith and Gorebridge.

This will be a matter for the contractor, once appointed, in discussion with the promoter and the respective Councils. Due to the nature of construction however it is likely that work will take place at numerous locations along the line.

This will depend on the procurement route chosen. If it is a design and build contract then the main design and construction is anticipated to start during 2009.

The Act passed by the Scottish Parliament report is in favour of building the line from Edinburgh to Tweedbank in full and dismisses the possibility of the line terminating in Midlothian or being built in stages.

Matters such as fares will be fixed by the eventual operator of the service and will be subject to regulation by the Rail Regulator.

It is too early to give a definitive timetable or journey times.

It is too early to suggest which company will be appointed to operate or maintain the route.

The train stations are all being designed to allow integration and easy transfer to the existing and future bus services. It is a requirement of Scottish Government funding that we achieve this. Bus operators and local authorities are committed to providing and facilitating an integrated service and it is probable that a number of bus services will act as 'feeder' services to the railway.

At this stage, we foresee that it will be a half-hourly service travelling between Tweedbank, Edinburgh and beyond.

A regular and frequent all-day service will be essential if the railway is to make a real impact on the economy of the Borders or the road traffic and environment in Midlothian and the City. However economic viability, passenger demand and technical constraints, including available 'slots' in the timetable will dictate timing of services.

It is expected that some services will operate on Sundays.

Access to all stations, trains and car parks will comply with Disability Discrimination Act (1995) and the numerous statutory instruments that have been produced in the intervening period.

They will be designed, as will the stations and access facilities, to meet current Disability Discrimination Act access standards as required for any new rail infrastructure. The carrying of cycles will depend on the type of train ultimately used on the line. Secure cycle parking will be provided at every new station and disabled parking spaces will be provided at all station car parks.