Date: 29/10/2011

THE Scottish Government spent more than £2 million in its aborted attempt to attract a private bidder to build the Borders railway, ministers have admitted. The cost of the procurement exercise, cancelled a month ago after two of the three bidders pulled out, emerged from a written parliamentary answer by Transport Minister Keith Brown, prompting fresh criticism over the Government’s handling of the project. Responsibility for delivering the 35-mile route between Edinburgh and Tweedbank now lies with Network Rail, though there are doubts over whether the not-for-dividend infrastructure company will be able to complete it within the budget of £295m or ahead of the Government’s deadline of December 2014. In response to a question tabled by Jim Hume, Liberal Democrat MSP for South of Scotland, Mr Brown said the cancellation of the competition to build the route was necessary to limit “abortive costs”. “From December 2009 until September 2011, when Scottish ministers took the necessary action to cancel the procurement exercise as a result of market failure in order to limit abortive costs and to avoid delay to project delivery, the amount of money spent on the procurement process for the Borders railway was approximately £2.1m,” the Minister wrote.

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Related images

A train on the Waverley route in the early 1960s, thought to be the 1.40pm ex-Carlisle, crossing the Gala Water at Torwoodlee on the northern edge of Galashiels shortly after passing Kilnknowe Junction. In the foreground the Peebles loop can be seen diverging west. Note the newish 'banana van' (with yellow spot) amongst the tail traffic.
Location: Torwoodlee South Viaduct
Company: Edinburgh and Hawick Railway (North British Railway)
// Bruce McCartney Collection

The trackbed south of the former Fushiebridge station (1849-1959) following clearance of vegetation in April 2007. View is north along the Waverley route towards Gorebridge. Goods facilities existed here, with the station itself located on the north side of the bridge.
Location: Fushiebridge [1st]
Company: Edinburgh and Hawick Railway (North British Railway)
06/04/2007 John Furnevel

The new Station Brae bridge at Galashiels, clearly showing the line of the route for the new Borders Railway. This is possibly the only overbridge of an existing or planned railway built in Britain in the last 50 years to have just single-track width, although piggyback freight will clearly be welcomed!
Location: Galashiels [1st]
Company: Edinburgh and Hawick Railway (North British Railway)
02/04/2010 David Spaven

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