Firm behind Edinburgh tram line to lead Borders Railway extension study
An engineering consultancy firm that helped design Edinburgh's first modern tram line has been appointed to lead the next stage of plans to extend the Borders Railway.
WSP, which has an office in Edinburgh, has been awarded two contracts by Scottish Borders Council - reportedly valued at £1 million.
They include plans for a transport appraisal to help identify a preferred route for any new line, alongside what's described as some "high-level feasibility work".
WSP will also prepare a growth prospectus examining wider economic opportunities that could strengthen the case for extending the railway to Hawick and Carlisle.
Together, the studies will form the Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) – the first of three stages required to assess the transport, environmental and economic case for improving rail links between southern Scotland and northern England.
The work is being funded by the UK and Scottish Governments through the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, and comes almost 11 years after a 35-mile section of the former Waverley Line reopened between Edinburgh and Tweedbank.
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Councillor Scott Hamilton, Scottish Borders Council's Executive Member for Economic Growth and Developing the Borders, said: "This appointment marks another important step forward in the work to develop the case for extending the Borders Railway.
"The support from WSP will help ensure the Strategic Outline Business Case is thorough, evidence-led and focused on the long-term benefits for communities and economic growth across the region."
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The work to be undertaken by WSP is expected to take 18 months to complete.
Project Director Jake Cartmell said: "Our focus will be on providing robust, evidence-led advice to help inform the Strategic Outline Business Case, considering the transport, environmental and economic factors that will shape the long-term case for investment.
"This is an important opportunity to look carefully at how improved connectivity could support communities, businesses and sustainable growth across the Borderlands region."
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