Plans to reopen a long disused rail station at Reston in Berwickshire are set to receive a boost this week when a decision is made on the Scottish Borders Council’s new budget.

 

The station on the East Coast line served the village from 1846 and was closed in 1964. But trains could stop at the station once more from as early as 2021 as part of an effort to bring about the return of a local rail service between Edinburgh and Berwick-Upon-Tweed.

 

The Scottish Borders Council has proposed a contribution of just over £2M for the station reconstruction project, which would cost an estimated £10.6M overall.

 

The council’s leader David Parker explained that the nearby Borders Railway is beginning to provide significant economic and social benefits for the central Borders. “We believe the re-introduction of a station at Reston could do the same for residents in the east of our region,” he said.

 

Meanwhile proposals are also being taken forward by East Lothian Council for the return of another station at East Linton – on the same Edinburgh to Berwick route. 

 

Both East Lothian and the Scottish Borders Council wrote to Scotland’s Transport Minister Humza Yousaf earlier this month to confirm their support for the projects. Together the two stations could be included in a programme of works covering Edinburgh and the South East of Scotland.

 

East Lothian Council deputy leader and transport spokesman Michael Veitch said: “The opening of these stations would be a game changer for both East Lothian and Berwickshire in terms massively improving commuting options and boosting the local economy.”

 

The Scottish Borders Council’s budget plan also includes contributions for refurbishing the Union Chain Bridge – which spans the River Tweed and is said to be the oldest surviving iron chain suspension bridge in use in Europe – and for a new bridge in Peebles to support local development.

 

(Photo: Scottish Borders Council)