Damage done to bridge on Borders Railway in ‘attack’

THOUSANDS of pounds of damage have been caused to a new bridge on the under-construction Borders Railway in what British Transport Police believe is the first deliberate attack on the £353 million project.
British Transport Police believe this is the first deliberate attack on the project. Picture: ContributedBritish Transport Police believe this is the first deliberate attack on the project. Picture: Contributed
British Transport Police believe this is the first deliberate attack on the project. Picture: Contributed

Scaffolding under a bridge near Fountainhall, between Heriot and Stow, was repeatedly rammed by a vehicle between Sunday and Monday morning.

The bridge, known as Torquhan South, is between Torquhan and Bankhhouse farms.

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Detective Constable Andy Egan, who is leading the investigation, said: “I suspect that an agricultural or construction vehicle would have been driven at the bridge, causing the damage.

“The bridge is adjacent to the main A7 road through the Borders and is visible to drivers and passengers using this route.”

BTP, which launched a special team to protect the 30-mile Edinburgh-Tweedbank route in July, said there had previously been only isolated vandalism incidents since construction started in April.

A spokesman for Network Rail, which is due to complete the railway in 2015, said: “There are always some tensions on major projects, but we are not aware of specific issues on the Borders Railway.”