 The Waverley line closed in 1969 |
A new method of funding the Borders railway line has been suggested as MSPs study the bill which would allow the line to reopen. The Waverly Route Trust said that other European countries had successfully experimented with raising funds from the communities which will benefit from the railway.
The dream of reopening 35miles (56km) of railway between Edinburgh to Tweedbank near Galashiels has moved closer towards reality with the publication of the Waverley Railway Bill.
But campaigners fear that the Scottish Executive will not provide its �110m share of the total cost.
Housing investment
The Waverley line operated from Edinburgh to Carlisle, through the Scottish Borders, until it was closed in 1969 along with thousands of miles of track across Britain.
According to the Waverley Railway Project, the benefits of reopening the line include access to jobs in Edinburgh, extra local employment and more investment in housing.
A tight timetable has been worked out for building the railway but the problem of how it will be paid for is the biggest obstacle.
Now the Waverley Route Trust has said a study should be made of alternative means of finance.
 Campaigners want to reopen the route |
It said community railway lines in Germany, Austria, Sweden and Ireland have shown freight and tourism interests - as well as commuters - can be asked to contribute to the costs.
Studies have predicted that the rail development would lead to �130m of housing investment in the Borders and Midlothian.
The proposed route includes plans for new stations at Shawfair, Eskbank, Newtongrange, Gorebridge and Galashiels.
Some way should be found of tapping into the increased value of houses near the stations along the line, the trust added.
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