The Campaign for Borders Rail organised an event in Carlisle on May 22 to discuss the potential for reopening the entire former ‘Waverley Route’.
Carlisle MP John Stevenson was told about the successful reopening of the route from Edinburgh to Tweedbank, as well as the potential benefits to the Scottish Borders and Cumbria of extending the line.
Also at the event was Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk MP John Lamont, who said: “The business case for bringing the line to Carlisle is clear to me. There could be huge benefits in terms of job creation, better connectivity to the West Coast Main Line and Carlisle airport, and added benefits like getting some freight off our roads.
“In my view, the Borderlands Growth Deal is the perfect opportunity to fast-track the extension of the railway. Better cross-border routes are exactly the type of projects that Borderlands should be supporting.”
Stevenson described the proposals as “potentially very exciting”, adding: “It could help boost the connectivity and economy of a substantial part of the Borderlands region. I look forward to working with all parties to try and make this a success.”
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FrankH - 25/05/2018 21:57
not a hope, just 2 mp's making speeches.
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AndrewJG8918 - 26/05/2018 20:19
I think it should happen. Reinstate the Waverley Line so that it will easy congestion on the West Coast Main Line from Carlisle to Edinburgh Waverley. And possibly to electrify the Waverley Line if required or use a mixture of DMU and Bi-Mode trains to operate on the Waverley Line once the new line to Carlisle from Tweedbank has been rebuilt and reopened.
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FrankH - 28/05/2018 23:32
There is no congestion north of Carlisle, 3 WCML TPH in both directions plus the odd freight.
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David Scott - 29/05/2018 11:05
The irony of modern 'British' politics is that reopening a cross-border route raises massive interface issues which make it all to easy to 'long grass' a project. From a scottish perspective, it is easier to reopen the Waverley southern leg by going via Annan to the WCML, keeping all the project in Scotland. If Carlisle-Longtown is to form part it would be good of Carlisle to build a stub to Longtown. Much as Scotrail did to Newcraighall, to provide the cheaper start point for the Galashiels, and the 'through running' at Gala to Tweedbank.
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Peter C. Morton - 04/06/2018 22:31
Before we consider more expenditure on the borders line there is an overdue need to complete the restitution of infrastructure on the G&SWR main line. Between Barrhead and Kilmarnock the reinstatment of double track with electrification as well from Muirhouse Central Jn. to Kilmarnock. As well as this a reinstatement of stations at Caldwell, Kilmaurs, Hurlford, Mauchline, Cumnock, & Thornhill. The last 4 of these beingserved by an enhanced service to Dumfries. Additional projects worth considering are the reinstatement of the branch from Hurlford to Galston with an intermediate stop at Barlieth. Galston to Newmilns and Darvel is blocked by housing but a single track to Galston w1ould be2 a good railhead [ like Larkhall]. Second project worth considering is a NEW small branch immediately south of New Cumnock turning in to the Village and ending at the A76 road . A single line of approx. 3/4 of a mile would give station more useful to the village. If both branch were built the could provide an hourly service to Glasgow which would combine at Hurlford to yield an 1/2 hourly service taking up the current 1/2 hourly service originating t Kilmarnock.
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Alan M - 10/06/2018 16:43
As far as the use of the proposed line for through services is concerned, it won't be a match for the existing WCML via Carstairs which will still be much faster
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