EuroWire, EDINBURGH: Network Rail said it will begin the first stage of electrification on Scotland’s Borders Railway this month, with preparatory activity starting Saturday, February 21, as engineers set up for foundation piling needed to install overhead line equipment on parts of the route between Edinburgh and Tweedbank.
The initial work will focus on two sections slated for electrification: between Newcraighall and Shawfair on the Edinburgh side of the line, and between Bowshank Tunnel, south of Stow, and Tweedbank station in the Scottish Borders. Network Rail said piling involves driving foundations into the ground to support masts and cantilevers that will carry future overhead wires, a step it said is required before electrified train operations can be introduced on the route.
Network Rail said the work can only be carried out safely when trains are not running, and has scheduled three weekend closures in March, with buses replacing rail services for affected journeys. The planned closures are Saturday to Monday on March 14 to March 16, March 21 to March 23, and March 28 to March 30. The company said some activity will also be carried out overnight to make use of time when the railway is closed.
The Borders Railway links Edinburgh with Midlothian and the Scottish Borders, terminating at Tweedbank, and reopened to regular passenger services on September 6, 2015. Network Rail said more than 13 million journeys have been made on the line since its reopening. The route was rebuilt with provision for future electrification, which Network Rail said reduces the need for more disruptive engineering interventions often required on older infrastructure.
Weekend closures and replacement buses
The electrification work follows a Scottish Government announcement in September 2025 of a £342 million investment covering electrification in Fife and the Borders and the procurement of 69 new trains, including battery-electric units intended for services on these routes. Transport Scotland said the investment forms part of the next stage in modernising Scotland’s railway and supports plans to decarbonise rail travel by pairing targeted infrastructure upgrades with new rolling stock procurement.
Network Rail said the Fife and Borders programme covers about 140 kilometres of electrification works across the two corridors. On the Borders route, the planned electrified sections would extend the existing electrified network in the Edinburgh area and allow trains to draw power from overhead wires where installed. Network Rail and ScotRail have linked the electrification to the deployment of new battery-electric trains, with electrified sections designed to provide charging opportunities during operation.
Work scope and passenger advice
Network Rail said the current phase is focused on early enabling works, including piling for overhead line structures, ahead of subsequent installation of electrification equipment. A Network Rail scheme project manager said the design and reconstruction of the Borders Railway included features to accommodate electrification, allowing the programme to proceed with less intrusive civil engineering than is often required elsewhere, while noting that piling remains a necessary first step to support the overhead line system.
ScotRail said it is working with Network Rail to keep customers informed during the planned closures and will provide alternative travel arrangements when the railway is shut. Network Rail advised passengers to plan ahead, check journeys with ScotRail before travelling and allow extra time where needed during periods when buses replace trains. The companies said the weekend closures are intended to concentrate disruptive work into defined windows when trains are not running.