Work to re-build the Borders railway line is now underway, but while bridges are built and tracks are laid, construction workers need to think about protecting the local wildlife.
The track crosses over the River Tweed, which is home to otters, protected fish and a variety of flowers.
Jenny Longden has been visiting the site to find out what is being done to keep them safe:
The Tweed viaduct crossing the River Tweed is an area of special conservation under EU regulations, due to the presence of protected species.
Brook Lampreys and Atlantic salmon can be seen in this stretch of the river, and protected flowers and plants grow on the banks.
Network Rail are working with Environmental Groups, such as SEPA, to make sure they disturb wildlife as little as possible while building the Waverley line.
Team members working on the new Borders Railway are working hard to protect the local wildlife situated along the new route line.
Barn owls, otters and badgers are among some of the species being protected by a project aimed at reducing the impact and disturbance to animal habitats during construction.
Some if the work already carried out includes providing local barn owls with an alternative nest box and protecting badger setts.
– Andrew Mitchell, Project Environment Specialist for Network Rail"An essential part of the re-development of the Borders Railway is to ensure that we are protecting species that have been integral to the Midlothian and Scottish Borders environment for many years.
"Although it is inevitable that a project of this scale will require some de-vegetation and other disturbance to make way for the new line, we are committed to working with SNH and SEPA in their regulatory capacity to make sure we work around important habitats and protected species or plants sensitively and, of course, appropriately."
Construction work has started of a railway line to link the Borders with Edinburgh Waverley.
The 30 mile route to Tweedbank will have seven new stations - creating jobs, and providing direct access to the capital.
Watch the full report from Alex Watson below.
Construction work has started on a railway line which will eventually link people in the Scottish Borders with Edinburgh Waverley.
The Transport Minister Keith Brown launched the route, which will cost 300 million pounds.
Trains will begin and end at Tweedbank and also stop in Galashiels and Stow.
Transport Minister for Scotland, Keith Brown, will be at Monktonhall in Edinburgh today to launch the construction works for the new Borders Railway.
The first works will involve excavating the track alignment for the new line, which will provide a passenger railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank in the Scottish Borders for the first time in 40 years.
Once finished the line will include 30 miles of new railway with 10 stops and 7 new stations.
Thousands apply for 18 driver jobs on Borders railway.
Scotrail says it has been inundated with applications from people who want to become train drivers on the new Borders railway.
More than 2200 people applied for just 18 trainee posts.
A Scotrail spokesperson said the successful recruits would start their training in the spring.
They will earn up to £39,000 after training and probation.
Construction work on the railway - which will link Edinburgh to Tweedbank will also start in the spring.
It is due to be complete by 2015.
Drop in sessions have started taking place for people who live along the route of the new borders railway.
Work to build the line will start early next year after a deal was signed with Network Rail. Residents are getting the chance to meet members of the project team and view their plans. The railway is due to be completed by summer 2015. Network Rail says disruption will be kept to a minimum.
Network Rail have arranged a number of drop in sessions for residents along the route of the new Borders railway.
The route will go from Edinburgh to the Tweedbank and construction work is due to be completed in summer 2015. Earlier this month responsibility for the delivery of the route was formally passed to Network Rail and advance works are already underway.
Network rail say residents will begin to see equipment along the route and increased traffic and to keep residents informed they are holding a series of drop in sessions.
They say the sessions will allow residents to view the plans and speak to the project team.
The full programme of sessions are:
The Campaign for Borders Rail (CBR) has welcomed the official signing of the transfer of responsibility for the construction of the Borders Railway.
They said that now the signing is complete, Network Rail can officially begin the construction phase of the Borders Railway Project which will re-establish passenger railway services from Edinburgh through Midlothian to Tweedbank in the Scottish Borders for the first time in over 40 years.
– Lorne Anton, Chairperson, Campaign for Borders Rail"CBR was launched in 1999 and has played a key role in leading grassroots support for the return of the railway – not least without a 17,200 signature Petition presented to the Scottish Parliaments Petitions Committee in March 2000.
“CBR wishes to put on record its thanks to all Scotlands National and Local Government Agencies, Government Ministers, MPs, MSPs, Councillors, business and trade union organisations, the Association of Community Rail Partnerships, tourism organisations, members of the public and supporters who have come together to give the Borders and Midlothian our railway back.”