News on Galashiels Border Line re-opening date

[rjhowie]

Many of us here in Scotland wondered what was happening about this route which had been passed by the previous administration in Edinburgh. The Scottish Government has said that p[reparatory work has been done although more is to follow regarding the shifting of utilities.

The 30 mile long passenger line will actually run from Edinburgh just past Galashiels an important Border town to finish at a village. It was part of the masive Beeching cuts in the 60's. Once this was part of a route that ran cross country from southeast -southwest and Carlise with other Border lines part of a network. The government has stated it is 100% behind the project and that the opening date is set for 2014 with a view to being in budget (that will be a change!). This will be the fourth pasenger rail re-opening up here so English cousins what about you?!

 

[itareus]

.....so English cousins what about you?.....!

Well the A141 bypass runs on the route of my Beeching Axed local line (St Ives - Chatteris - March) and Cambridgershire County Council have spent a fortune on a guided busway on the former St Ives to Cambridge line (delivered late http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridgeshire_Guided_Busway#Delays and over budget). Don't see much chance of a rail revival round here !!

At least we have one bus an hour to errr ....nowhere.... and I don't get my free bus pass for 2 years...:'( .

Cheers

Chris

 

[rjhowie]

Pity! Always good to hear of a re-opening up here. And considering that the target for two of them has been well and truly broken on passenger numbers says much. One local short line inside Glasgow the Maryhill-Anniesland run was yet another of the cuts all those decades ago. Not as long as the other two or the impending Galashiels run but a handy connection. Ironically the Maryhill connection was to be an area covered by the nothing-happened-Strathclyde Tram. That idea was to have seral routes like Manchester. We have had others thatcam to nothing such as the re-opeing in the East End of the city from Bridgeton Station through Parkhead and another old hoary one was extending Glasgow's Subway!

Never-the-less getting lines opened after being shut for half a century is no mean feat. My understanding is that when the Larkhall Branch was re-opened with electric trains the people in Stonehouse beyond there wanted to know why they couldn't be included as the old track bed was still extant.

What is very missing is the Glasgow Cross-Rail project to connect the north of the River Clyde electric routes with those south of the river. A short bit of track and some relaying however that one has dragged on for 20 years. It would revolutionise trains in the area and beyond. Anyway when Galashiels is re-opened I am going to have a trip and revisit an area I stayed in twice with Boys' Brigade Camps in nearby Melrose (was part of the Waverley Route beyond "Gala". Lovely countryside in the Borders.

 

[JCitron]

Well the A141 bypass runs on the route of my Beeching Axed local line (St Ives - Chatteris - March) and Cambridgershire County Council have spent a fortune on a guided busway on the former St Ives to Cambridge line (delivered late http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridgeshire_Guided_Busway#Delays and over budget). Don't see much chance of a rail revival round here !!

At least we have one bus an hour to errr ....nowhere.... and I don't get my free bus pass for 2 years...:'( .

Cheers

Chris

Chris,

I too am excited to hear about reopenings any where in the world.

Your area sounds like Boston and the suburbs. The Mass. Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) just won a court case against reopening a closed trolley route (tram). The line was closed in the early 1980s as part of a "cost savings" move. They had gone as far as putting in new wire and signals along the line when the system was upgraded. No revenue trains were to run on the section after the work was completed, however.

Now the local residents wanted the line reopened. The neighboring NIMBYs, who don't even live in the area, and newbies who just moved in and have no clue, fought hard against it because of the so-called traffic congestion along the route. The "T", as we call it, never wanted to reopen the route, and used this as an excuse to to pursue the work.

So what do the residents get to keep? Smelly buses along with possibly getting the newer dual mode "Silver Line" buses. These stupid things run really slow, always have mechanical problems, and are always late. The buses have both CNG and a pantograph so they can operate in a former trolley station in the downtown. They've been the push by the current administration over restoring streetcar service all over the city.

Our local transit authority isn't known to have geniuses at its helm, and they've made other stupid moves like this in the past. My question is who was paid off with our tax money for these vehicles.

John

 

[pfx]

Now for something completely different.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-14982990

 

[rjhowie]

Remarkable man and very pleasing. Have been on that line on occasions over the years.

 

[Paulsw2]

A wonderful example of community/enthusiast spirit. It's a shame our railways can't do more to harness this kind of energy. At my local station I rather suspect that, if you tried to plant some flowers, they'd shoot you as a suspected terrorist!

Paul

 

[rjhowie]

And along with the continued expansion of our railway in Scotland another bit of good news. The smaller of our two main stations here in the city, Glasgow Queen Street is to be revamped. The building at the front facing into George Square is to be demolished and a big new all glass and steel frontage. The side entrance at Dundas Street will also be effected and there wilbe a connection to the Buchanan Galleries the indoor shopping Mall.

On the negative side the 20 year campaign for the Glasgow Crossrail Project is being shunted into the long grass. That would have not only revolutionised the suburban networks north and south of the Clyde but linked the East of Scotland right into the West Coast. It is galling that London can for example get a new line at the drop of a hat yet a lesser project here is to be quietly let go?

 

[rjhowie]

It now appears that the Scottish Government got a red face. Private companies that had enquired about building the Border Line have withdrawn and there is nobody so Network Rail will have to do it themselves.