06.11.12
Transport Scotland transfers Borders to Network Rail
An agreement on the transfer of responsibility for the Borders railway deal is due to be signed today.
At a ceremony in Newtongrange, Midlothian, Scotland’s transport secretary Keith Brown will officially hand over the project from Transport Scotland to Network Rail.
The contract process has taken over two years to reach this stage, and some have raised concerns that the project will miss its 2014 completion target, as well as exceeding its £295m budget.
The project aims to reintroduce trains from Edinburgh to Tweedbank for the first time in over 40 years. It involves the construction of 30 miles of new railway with 10 stops and seven new stations.
Commenting on the completion date, Brown said: “We expect to make an announcement with regard to the Borders railway shortly once the commercial terms of the contract between Scottish ministers and Network Rail are finalised.”
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