Has the current line been built such that it is clear to all mainline stock?
If it hasn't, then it is at variance to standards for a new line.
Has the current line been built such that it is clear to all mainline stock?
In my area we have plusbus, a simple add on fare to the train fare that achieves exactly that.
http://www.plusbus.info/
Transport Scotland has announced it intends to award the contract to look at wider transport issues across the south of the country to Jacobs UK Ltd.
Except for the fact that the single line sections on the existing stretch mean that there is little or no capacity for any additional trains.
It is going to take at least 7 months to put this report together.
I suspect that the reason it is being done for trains, buses and road is that Nicola can then tell people if you have independent Scotland we will give you all these improvements.
I think with all the political in fighting going on at the moment the extension to Hawick is a lot further away than it was 6 months ago.
Forgive me for commenting that is prejudging the result of the forthcoming study.
My personal view is that a full reopening to Carlisle would provide a useful diversionary route. It would have been invaluable during the Lamington Viaduct closure and would potentially be useful during engineering work such as that planned for the coming weekend.
Or is it possible that on the other hand the SNP want to get it funded pronto while the Barnett formula is still using English taxes to pay for Scottish spending?
Yes that's exactly it. I pay much less tax than anyone in England and I am delighted to subsidise HS2 despite it never leaving England.
Jeezo! If you want to keep the UK together you are going to have to be a bit more diplomatic than the Daily Mail.
Whilst the Borders Railway led to the end of a parallel bus route, as has happened elsewhere, the lessons learnt are the buses have to become feeders to the railway as they did to the trunk bus route.
With the railway carrying many more passengers than the lost bus route it actually makes feeder buses more viable, especially when Station car parks are full so early in the day.
This is no more than a transition stage from the old bus route network to a new one.
Manchester Trams resulted in the bus network of Manchester being totally recast, but that took years!
No problem at all .
I think HS2 should some come to Glasgow and Edinburgh. I don't want to pay for it otherwise but recognise that I will have to subsidise it under the current constitutional arrangements.
I have not had time to read the work regarding extending the route. Does it include the long tunnel in the south?
Except that no routes have been discontinued, just the residents of the Borders will no longer have the pleasure of being served by First Bus:
http://www.thesouthernreporter.co.u...ecures-future-of-borders-bus-routes-1-4410556
On the face of it that looks like good news. Though it begs the question: why are West Coast Motors reasonably confident about being able to retain a similar network in the area when First were not?
Beyond that the study will conclude Hawick - Carlisle is not viable, reconfirm the new stations at Reston and East Linton and the new platform at Dunbar.
No problem at all .
I think HS2 should some come to Glasgow and Edinburgh. I don't want to pay for it otherwise but recognise that I will have to subsidise it under the current constitutional arrangements.
I have not had time to read the work regarding extending the route. Does it include the long tunnel in the south?
Perhaps.
HS2, if it reaches Scotland, might end up being what results in the full re-opening of the Borders route.
Upgrading the operational West Coast mainline was horrendously expensive and time consuming.
The accountant in me wonders if the cost of:-
Re-opening of Hawick-to-Carlisle
+
Closure, then total rebuild of Carlisle-Carstairs to HS2 standards
Would take less time and considerably less money than by upgrading and improving the WCML between Carlisle & Carstairs on a bitty basis.
According to Scottish Government figures, Scotland is allocated 2% of the cost of HS2, while HS2 Ltd's figures suggest Scotland will receive approximately 6% of the economic benefits.
Perhaps.
HS2, if it reaches Scotland, might end up being what results in the full re-opening of the Borders route.
Upgrading the operational West Coast mainline was horrendously expensive and time consuming.
The accountant in me wonders if the cost of:-
Re-opening of Hawick-to-Carlisle
+
Closure, then total rebuild of Carlisle-Carstairs to HS2 standards
Would take less time and considerably less money than by upgrading and improving the WCML between Carlisle & Carstairs on a bitty basis.
You can't improve Carlisle - Carstairs to High Speed. Too windy.
And if you believe "Scotland" will get 6% of the economic benefits I would suggest you are living in a parallel reality. Why do people still believe in the trickle down approach? It doesn't work.
Hawick - Carlisle is entirely pointless to all except nostalgic enthusiasts. Never going to happen.
Indeed Might you also say the same about Tweedbank - Hawick, does it really have a strong business case?
Maybe. But the trouble is, that would only work if you upgrade/improve Edinburgh-Tweedbank first: As a minimum, in that scenario, the existing route would probably need to become double-track all the way to cope with all the diverted Edinburgh-England trains while Carlisle-Carstairs is closed (that'll mean rebuilding several bridges). Then you'd need to sort out the junction with the main line in Edinburgh. By the time you've done that, would you really have less cost/disruption than upgrading Carlisle-Carstairs?
Also, that only helps the England-Edinburgh trains. You'd still need to find some arrangements for the England-Glasgow ones (I don't know how viable routing via Kilmarnock would be).
I was responding to a comment about the use of the route for diversions. I agree the scheduled service would be an extension of the existing services.Surely it would be the same trains as now, travelling further. Not extra trains.
Personally, I can see a case for extending the line south from Tweedbank to Hawick. Beyond there, (as has been discussed many times on this forum & elsewhere), the population density is very low & there's relatively little potential for passenger traffic.
It may be nice to have an additional route as a diversionary option, but as mentioned earlier, wishes don't make a business case.
Indeed Might you also say the same about Tweedbank - Hawick, does it really have a strong business case?