Planning consent received for Reston Station
SCOTTISH BORDERS Council’s planning committee has approved proposals that will result in a station opening in the Borders village of Reston. The plans are for the construction of a £20m two-platform station on the East Coast Main Line, along with an access road and 70 car parking spaces. The new station will be fully accessible with lifts and a footbridge.
The announcement is vindication for local campaigners who have pushed for the return of the station for more than two decades. It is hoped the new station will help revitalise the rural communities of Berwickshire and further afield, opening up prospects for investment in the area. A station first opened in the village of Reston in 1846, but it closed in 1964.
The two platforms will be 270m long and 4m wide and will include waiting shelters, seating and ticket machines, with a 1.5m steel fence to the rear of both. Plenty of modern lighting will be used and CCTV equipment will be installed. A new mini roundabout will be added at Reston Main Street, close to the existing junction with the Orchard, which will be closed to vehicles. A new road and footway/cycle path will lead from the road, running parallel with The Orchard to serve both it and the new station.
Also part of the plans is a new transport interchange that will use a one-way loop road to serve the car park, bus stop with shelter and a drop-off space. The application includes provision for a 40-space extension to the car park. Cycle storage facilities will also be provided.
Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity said: “I welcome this announcement which is another significant step towards delivery of this important new station and will bring new travel opportunities to Reston and surrounding Borders area. The Scottish Government has committed funding for this scheme, which will have real potential to deliver a number of benefits for the local communities and also help towards our green recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.”