THE landscape of the Scottish Borders has always captured the imagination of writers, including Walter Scott, who was so enamoured of the view from Bemersyde Hill, near Melrose, that it was named after him. The author, who spent part of his sickly childhood in the Borders, was so fond of the spot that his hearse stopped there on the way to his funeral.

Yet the inspiring scenery has not stopped locals leaving or prompted a tourism boom. Overseas visitors devote just 1 per cent of their holiday spend to the region, while the number of residents aged 15 to 29 has fallen by nearly a quarter in the past two decades. A declining textiles industry and farms crippled by foot-and-mouth have hastened the exodus.

“We’re losing young people and families,” David Hume, chief executive of the Scottish Borders Council, said. “We want to retain young people and bring young families to the Borders. That’s a critical factor in our determination to get the Waverley railway here.”

The council, alongside its Edinburgh and Midlothian counterparts, is backing a £151 million project to reinstate a 35-mile stretch of railway that closed in 1969. Expected to open in 2008, the Waverley Rail Project will reconnect Edinburgh to the Borders via two existing stations and six new stops, including one at Galashiels and the terminus at Tweedbank.

Mr Hume says that the venture will benefit all involved. “The project’s goal is to create a fast, efficient public transport railway link . . . We want to make sure everyone in Scotland is in no doubt that this is a good project for the Borders, a good project for Edinburgh and a hugely beneficial project for the national economy.”

The promise of economic spin-offs worth £500 million has helped the cause. Mr Hume says locals back the plan. “We conducted a number of surveys that show overwhelming support. Obviously we will have to work with the community to make sure everybody is made aware of the project’s potential.” he said.

Not everyone is convinced. The 140 objections lodged against the Waverley Railway (Scotland) Bill range from concerns about house prices to the survival of local bus services. The protests are varied and passionate. Hamish Hunter, chairman of the Parish of Stow Community Council, says that because the railway will not carry freight, the A7 will become more congested, isolating the community even more.

This could be dismissed as a local spat if it were not for a damming report published by Robert Gordon University in August. The author of the independent policy paper, Building Better Transport?, says that the Scottish Executive’s transport policies have become increasingly politically motivated.

Iain Docherty, of Glasgow University’s department of urban studies, said: “The transport budget has increased substantially and the system has been unable to (follow) a coherent plan, so things have become short-termist and political. There is reasonable evidence of pork-barrel bargaining, which means schemes are being progressed according to local political demands from key ministers and members.”

Dr Docherty says the rail link is “difficult to justify on economic grounds” and will act as a drain rather that a boost to the national economy. “The most likely outcome in terms of the local economy is that it will make little difference. In transport terms, it will further increase the subsidy requirements needed to operate railways in Scotland.”

Tavish Scott, Scotland’s Transport Minister, remains committed to the route, however. “This project is about connecting the Borders and Midlothian, not only to Edinburgh and the rest of Scotland but through the Edinburgh airport rail link to truly global markets,” he said. “Faster journey times, greater accessibility for passengers, improved opportunities for education, employment and leisure, reduced emissions, safer travel — these are the tangible benefits.”

The project also has celebrity backing. Michael Palin, of Around the World in 80 Days, said this week that he looked forward to adding the route to his list of rail journeys. “As a long-time advocate of rail travel as being the most civilised, least environmentally damaging form of mass transport, I’m delighted to hear that there is a serious prospect of reopening part of the Waverley route,” he said. “The countryside the line runs through is very beautiful and will be even more beautiful if people can be persuaded to leave their cars at home and see it by rail.”

After the Waverley Railway Bill Committee’s support of the proposal, the Bill promoting the link will be debated in the Scottish Parliament next week.

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