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Announcement due over rail link £235m rail link project under way
(about 12 hours later)
An announcement is due on the progress of plans to reopen the rail line between Edinburgh and the Borders. The project to reopen a rail line between Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders has officially started.
The scheme connecting Waverley station to Tweedbank near Galashiels has divided opinion both nationally and along the route it will follow. Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson was in Galashiels to cut the first sod and activate the act of parliament which allows the scheme to be built.
The cost of the project has been estimated at between £235m and £295m. He said the railway could be a catalyst for economic growth right across the south of Scotland.
Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson is now scheduled to make a statement about the line, which is due to reopen to passengers by 2014. Lib Dem MSP Jeremy Purvis said it was a "positive move" but hoped construction work could be speeded up.
The process to find a contractor to build the scheme was started last year. Mr Stevenson was in the Borders to formally activate the Waverley Rail Bill - the act which means the link must be built.
It is hoped they can be appointed next year with completion due three years after that. The project will consist of 35 miles of track, 10 stops and seven new stations.
Critics claim that reopening the line makes "no economic sense". Cost estimates range from £235m to £295m.
However, its supporters believe it will be a "significant catalyst" for growth in the economy of south east Scotland. Supporters say it will provide a business boost to the area but its detractors believe it does not make economic sense.
The current target for completion is 2014.