Rail Sidings Limited (RSL), operator of the Eastriggs site in southwest Scotland, has unveiled plans to convert the location into a multipurpose rail freight terminal under the Borderlands Rail Hub brand. The proposed terminal is intended to address a long-discussed capacity gap in rail freight infrastructure between England and Scotland and ease congestion on the West Coast Main Line (WCML).
The Scottish Government's Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) has listed capacity improvements for England-Scotland rail freight as a priority intervention. RSL's proposal envisages running Eastriggs as a multipurpose terminal — intermodal, bulk and defence logistics — alongside signalling upgrades and longer-train operation on existing lines. It is positioned as a 'middle-of-the-route' support terminal between Glasgow and Carlisle.
For years, British planning legislation has been seen as a major barrier to new freight terminals. Rail Freight Group has broadly supported the UK government's National Planning Policy Framework overhaul, which addresses long-standing barriers to freight terminal development and protection. The Eastriggs/Borderlands Rail Hub proposal is viewed as one of the first concrete examples of those reforms being put into practice.
From a supply chain perspective, an operational Eastriggs could deliver meaningful transit-time and cost improvements for intermodal freight serving the Glasgow-Edinburgh metropolitan area. Capacity on the northern segment of the WCML is expected to rise by 15-20%, which could lift the frequency of container and bulk services from Felixstowe, Southampton and Liverpool to Scotland and reduce road's modal share. The UK Ministry of Defence is reportedly a potential stakeholder in the multipurpose use case.
Key Takeaways:
1. Rail Sidings Limited proposes converting the Eastriggs site to a Borderlands Rail Hub multipurpose freight terminal.
2. The project targets the England-Scotland rail freight capacity gap on the WCML.
3. Scotland's STPR2 has listed capacity improvements as a priority intervention.
4. Rail Freight Group backs the new planning framework that should ease terminal development.
5. WCML northern capacity could rise 15-20%, boosting intermodal frequency to Scotland.
