Scottish £174.6m rail link gets go ahead

The Scottish Parliament has voted almost unanimously in favour of reopening the Waverley Railway project. Turner and Townsend will project manage the £174.6m, 35-mile line that will link Edinburgh and Tweedbank with trains expected to start running in 2011.

Director of project management at Turner and Townsend, David Fox said: "This is a great result for Scottish Borders Council and its partners Midlothian Council, City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Enterprise Borders after many years of hard work. We now have to ensure that the project is delivered at the highest possible standard and within the timescale and budget specified."

The project will include the construction of rail infrastructure on an existing rail column, bridges and other structures, seven new railway stations and the establishment of a regular passenger service.

Turner and Townsend has been project managing the Scottish Border Council, the promoter of the Waverley Railway project, since 2000. It was initially appointed to prepare the Public Transport Fund application for the development stage as well as assess the alternative procurement methodologies and funding mechanisms for delivery of the project.