Wednesday February 25th 2026
Borders Railway, Eskbank Station
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
Borders Council has been given the go-ahead from both Scottish and UK governments to push ahead with the next stage in the potential extension of the Borders Railway.
Work is continuing to explore the possible extension of the railway to Hawick and Carlisle.
Working with project manager, Turner & Townsend, SBC been engaging with key partners, including Transport Scotland and the Department for Transport, to agree the next steps in developing the Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC).
This is the first stage in the business case process and is designed to assess the transport options and potential benefits that would best serve this part of the South of Scotland and Northern England.
Constructive feedback has now been received from both governments, confirming support for the overall approach and allowing the council to progress to the next phase of work.
This will include testing interest from specialist consultants to help shape the development of the SOBC in line with national guidance and best practice.
This work will also provide opportunities to engage with local partners, stakeholders, and communities to help shape the work as it develops.
Any future procurement activity will take place in line with agreed governance processes and in close coordination with funding partners.
The Borders Railway extension project is being supported through funding from the UK and Scottish governments via the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal.
The news has been welcomed by Hawick & Hermitage councillor Watson McAteer, who said: “While this has taken longer than we would have liked it was essential that our key funders were satisfied that there are real options for such a transport solution for our area.
“The next stage will target development of the strategic business case and involve consultation and engagement across our area.
“We should be very encouraged with this positive signal of support and work together to make completing the railway to Hawick, Newcastleton and onto Carlisle a key priority.”
An SBC spokesperson said: “We will provide future public communications on the progress of the Borders Railway Business Case process on a new webpage on the Scottish Borders Council website, including outlining the expected timescales for the work.
“Details on the new webpage will be provided in due course.”
Tweet Share on Facebook
