Saturday April 11th 2026
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
Efforts to secure an extension of the Borders Railway to Hawick and on to Carlisle are to continue with the award of a £1m consultancy contract next month.
The last regularly scheduled trains served Hawick on the weekend of January 4th and 5th, 1969, marking the final closure of the Waverley Route.
The station and its services were closed despite local protests, with the site later demolished in the late 1970s and replaced by a leisure centre.
A 30-mile Borders Railway reopened in September 2015, reconnecting Edinburgh and Tweedbank via seven new stations for the first time since 1969.
A push for an extension to Hawick and on to England continues, forming a key part of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal.
Both the UK and Scottish Governments are providing up to £10m of financial support to help deliver the business case and associated feasibility work for the extension.
Turner & Townsend were appointed as senior project managers for the project in March last year.
Now consultancy work to help support the business case is currently out to tender, with appointments expected to be made next month.
A report to be presented to members of Scottish Borders Council’s Executive Committee next week states: “The cost of the consultancy work is estimated to be in the region of £1 million and the strategic outline business case process could take up to 18 months to complete.
“This budget and time-scales will be confirmed following the completion of the procurement process in May 2026.
“A report will be brought back to a future committee to confirm the appointment of the consultants tasked with delivering the work associated with the development of the business case.
“The development of a dedicated web-page on the council’s website is also currently underway.
“When complete, this web-page will provide project updates and will help to answer frequently asked questions on the project.”
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