Track laying starts on Borders Railway

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The main track laying programme for the new 30-mile Borders Railway has begun.

Contractor BAM is expecting to complete track laying on the £294 million project by the end of the year, installing around 1,000 metres of the line a day.

Scotland’s Transport Minister Keith Brown and Mark Carne, chief executive of Network Rail, visited the new Shawfair station today (October 9) to meet staff and contractors.

Mark Carne said: ‘The installation of track on this route puts rail services within touching distance for thousands of potential passengers in Midlothian and the Scottish Borders.

“By the end of this year, rails will connect seven stations along the route to the national railway network for the first time in 45 years. When services start running next September, the railway will form a new economic artery for the region, providing opportunities for employment, education and tourism.”

The railway, which is due to open to passengers on September 6, 2015, will call at seven new stations – Shawfair, Eskbank, Newtongrange, Gorebridge, Stow, Galashiels and Tweedbank.

Keith Brown said: “This time next year, for the first time in almost half a century, people will be travelling by train between Edinburgh, Midlothian and the Borders – a hugely proud achievement for those who have worked so hard to deliver this railway and an exciting development for these communities.”

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