After many years of scepticism, negativity and outright opposition to the Borders Railway from The Scotsman, it’s a pleasure to read the positive coverage today in a large feature by stablemate Edinburgh Evening News. Headed ‘It’s on the right lines’ the double-page story leaves the reader in no doubt that the railway will have a massively positive impact on the Borders and Midlothian.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/borders-rail-works-starts-on-historic-link-1-2786591

There’s also strong backing for the project in the paper’s editorial, which concludes that “when we see the diggers in action we have the comfort of knowing that the results will bring a real boon to the area.”

So, how long now before a change of heart at Scotsman Towers!?

“Simon Walton here. You may not have heard much from the chairman’s office lately, but it’s been all go behind-the-scenes at campaign HQ. Our change of committee came on the same day as the contract was signed to start work on the Edinburgh to Tweedbank railway, or, as we prefer to call it, Phase One.

“Now we’ve had the very good news that the Scottish Government, in collaboration with the Association of Community Rail Partnerships, will back the formation of CRPs in Scotland. Obviously, CBR is right behind the idea, and I for one am in no doubt that our membership will be first in line to sign up for any future Borders Railway CRP. That’s why we’ve already expressed an interest to Keith Brown, the Transport Minister.

“That is not the only development at CBR. With preparatory work already underway up and down the line to Tweedbank, we are looking at the question of where does the campaign go next? Of course, the answer is Melrose, Hawick and Carlisle! Seriously though, where do we next direct the emphasis, and the resources, of the campaign?

“Already, active members are putting together a list of things we’d like to do – including supporting the Borders Railway Project during the construction phase; and helping make sure the line is as successful as possible from Day One; and structuring our campaign efforts in pursuing our ultimate aim of re-establishing the whole route from Carlisle through the Borders and Midlothian to Edinburgh.

“We have had lots of ideas and suggestions already on specific things we should be doing to turn our aims into reality, and we need more from the whole membership and indeed from anyone who supports the railway. Whatever you feel CBR should be doing now and in the future, please do feel free to contact me, Simon Walton, at chairman.bordersrail@uwclub.net.

“If you feel you can be more active, even if only for an hour or two a month, then get in touch. There is plenty to do, from simply helping spread the word about campaign activities, to administration and helping with proposed events. Many hands make light work, and by working together we can make CBR even more effective. Wouldn’t it be great to be an active part of even greater successes in the years to come?

“We also need your help to upgrade our own lines of communication. With so much going on, would like to present a more frequent newsletter, but we can only afford to do that electronically. So, we’re contacting all our members, to ask for email addresses, or other ways to get in touch. If want to help with this urgent task, just drop me a line with your up-to-date contact details. Better still, encourage a friend to join as well.

“If you are a CBR member, watch out for Newsletter 43, coming soon by one means or another. If you’re not a member, join us now! Subscription and contact details are shown on the ‘Support Us’ page of the web site.”

CBR Chair Simon Walton reports:

“Michael Moore, MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, and, incidentally, the Secretary of State for Scotland, met on Friday with Simon Walton and Richard Crockett, incoming chairman and outgoing vice chairman, respectively. As was said, it’s nice of the chairman to get to know the ordinary membership. 

Courtesy of Modern Railways magazine, here is a link to the news pages of their December issue, which includes extensive coverage of the 6th November announcement. Just scroll down to Page 9 of the magazine.

Modern Railways news pages Dec 2012

With the kind permission of RAIL magazine, here is the link to an article on the Borders Railway by Paul Prentice, published in the June-July issue. Only just received – and although partly overtaken by events it does incorporate useful insights and interesting photos, as well as illustrating how CBR has secured a national profile.

June July 2012 RAIL magazine article

The big announcement on 6th November generated a wide variety of media coverage – from the predictably downbeat Scotsman,through an alarmingly negative BBC (giving far too much prominence to the narrow and distorted perspective of John Lamont MSP) to generally positive coverage in the Border Telegraph, Guardian, Herald and perhaps above all the Southern Reporter. The paper’s news story recorded Cllr David Parker’s tribute to the work of CBR over the years, and in its editorial, headlined  ‘Time to get on board and ensure rail link’s success’, concluded that:

“…in the three years remaining before the Waverley Line opens for business, let’s be working together to ensure it is on track and successful from the off, because if it isn’t, we will only have ourselves to blame – and that includes the naysayers.”

We couldn’t say it better ourselves!

http://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/lifestyle/comment/time-to-get-on-board-and-ensure-rail-link-s-success-1-2619456

Network Rail has launched a striking new web site for the Borders Railway on http://www.bordersrailway.co.uk/. Amongst the interesting snippets to be found are:

• The Borders Railway will be the longest new domestic railway to be constructed in Britain for over 100 years [showing the tremendous scale of achievement, completely ignored by sceptics and critics like The Scotsman]
• Trains will run every half hour at peak times [our italics] – perhaps a new opening to create more paths for tourist charter trains rather than the evenings and Sundays-only windows of opportunity in the timetable specification to date?
• Journey times between Tweedbank and Edinburgh will take “less than one hour” [suggesting we need to keep up the pressure for the 55 minutes commitment made in 2009].

Yesterday’s Guardian carried a big news piece on the Borders Railway – their web version (with different photos) is at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/nov/05/scottish-borders-rail-route-beeching-reopening?INTCMP=SRCH

The paper’s Scotland correspondent Severin Carrell is also running a news blog on the Borders Railway: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/scotland-blog/2012/nov/06/scotland-rail-borders-line?INTCMP=SRCH

As well as celebrating the day’s great news about the Borders Railway, the 2012 CBR AGM at the Scottish Mining Museum yesterday elected a new Chair and Vice Chair to take over from Lorne Anton and Richard Crockett, who had decided to stand down.

Taking over as Chair is Simon Walton from Fountainhall, who writes:

“Born in Loanhead, a small mining village on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Simon Walton made it into the fifties by just 38 days. He is keenly aware of the ever changing face of Scotland, and saw the last coal trains pull out of the Bilston Glen branch off the Waverley Route.  In fact his very first rail journey was a short trip on that very line.  Though new to the Campaign and to the Borders, Simon is no stranger to the fate of the Waverley Route, and has followed the Borders Railway Project with keen interest for several years.  A media and public relations professional, he counts careers with the BBC and the National Trust for Scotland within his varied portfolio.  Industrial heritage and communications are Simon’s keenest interests, and he can often be found searching in the most unlikely spots for traces of the past.  As a former sound engineer, he’s fascinated by the unattainable aspects of history.  What he’d give to actually hear industrial Scotland all over again.

“For the Campaign, Simon is ambitious to see even greater cooperation between the CBR and the community at large.  There’s a bigger part for the CBR to play, he says, and encouraging a more active and self-reliant Borders is just one part of that.  By working together, he sees the Borders Railway not just a transport link, but an inspiration for greater collaboration in the Borders, and an example of the value of commitment and collective endeavour.  He’s committed to seeing restoration in the light of modern needs, and fully supports the push further south.”

The new Vice Chair is Tom Curry, who is a career railwayman, currently developing new business in Scotland for the rail haulier Direct Rail Services. Tom is also a keen railway enthusiast, and spoke in his professional capacity to an early CBR conference on freight prospects for a re-opened Waverley Route. Recently he has been providing advice to David Spaven on operational aspects of the charter train market for CBR’s campaign push, which was so successfully concluded yesterday.

Today’s historic announcement of the Borders Railway contract signing by Transport Scotland and Network Rail also brought confirmation of the success of CBR’s campaign (together with the Waverley Route Trust)  for Tweedbank station to be redesigned to accommodate tourist charter trains.

The Tweedbank terminus platform tracks will now be extended to 285m length, enabling commercially viable 12-coach charters to use the Borders Railway – and bringing in new visitor spend to attractions such as Sir Walter Scott’s Abbotsford, Melrose and the Borders abbeys.

Great credit should go to the Scottish Government for listening to CBR, which has argued long and hard for this. The Borders delegation to the Settle & Carlisle line in August – an inspired idea organised by Bill Jamieson and including Claudia Beamish MSP and regional tourism representatives – was crucial in firing up Claudia to press for a meeting with the Transport Minister, Keith Brown. He listened to CBR’s arguments, and has now accepted the merits of the case we have been making for more than a decade.

Congratulations all round, not least to Bill, who today steps down after 13 years continuous service as a CBR officebearer. What a way to go!