After starting electrification work on the Borders Railway in February, Network Rail engineers have now begun installing the steel masts that will support the overhead wires needed to supply power to new battery-electric trains.

The Scottish Government is spending £26.2m on electrifying 13 kilometres of the route between Edinburgh and Tweedbank, in preparation for the introduction of a fleet of battery-electric trains in the early 2030s.

A lot of the preparatory work for the electrification was carried out before the railway reopened in 2015.

The building of bridges, stations and other infrastructure for the reopened line was designed to accommodate electrification in the future, which has made the work being carried out now less onerous than it would otherwise have been.

In the first six months of their work, Network Rail engineers have been installing the foundations for 350 new overhead line structures.

So far, they have completed about half of the structures, and are now beginning work to erect steel masts and support arms.

The masts will be visible between Tweedbank and Bowshank Tunnel near Stow.

Engineers are working overnight and at weekends so that there is minimal disruption to passenger services.

When they have installed all the structures, engineers will begin installing wiring, then will test the new equipment and make final preparations for the introduction of the new battery-electric trains.

This is an exciting stage of the project because people can now start to see the railway changing.

A huge amount of work has gone into planning and building the foundations, much of it behind the scenes, so seeing these new structures appear is a real achievement.

What makes this project unique is that many of the decisions needed for electrification were taken when the railway was rebuilt more than a decade ago.

That means we’re able to deliver this significant upgrade with far less disruption than would otherwise have been needed.

We know the Borders Railway plays an important role in communities across the region. We’re making good progress in this next phase, and I’d like to thank passengers and our neighbours for their patience and understanding as work continues over the coming months.

Lynsey Maclean, scheme project manager at Network Rail