Borders to Edinburgh railway opens passenger services

The first regular passenger trains in nearly 50 years have begun operating between Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders.

The £296M Border Railway represents the longest domestic line to built in the UK in over 100 years and will take passengers from Edinburgh through Midlothian to Tweedbank in the Scottish Borders.

The old Waverley Line through the region shut in 1969 after being axed in the Beeching cuts. The reopening is a welcome boost for rail enthusiasts and also represents an opportunity to boost tourism and the local economy.

It is hoped one million passengers a year will be using the railway within five years of it opening.

Infrastructure Secretary Keith Brown said: “The Borders Railway is now open for business. Many people have waited a very long time to hear those words and I am proud and excited to be able to say them.

“The communities along the route have now been able to experience their new railway with a party to remember, and from today they will be able to make it a part of their everyday lives.

“Scotland’s railways are enjoying a period of success not seen since the time that the old Waverley line was built in the Victorian era, largely thanks to the Scottish Government’s record levels of investment, but also because the people of Scotland see the benefits of rail.

“The Borders Railway will be a real catalyst for growth in the Scottish Borders and Midlothian. It will open up new opportunities for work, leisure, study and investment and business for these areas which will, in turn, benefit the wider Scottish economy.”

ScotRail Alliance Managing Director Phil Verster said the line will bring ‘a new era of opportunity’ for the Borders and Scotland as a whole. He commented: “This is the first of many major infrastructure and service improvements that will transform the railway in our country.

“New trains will mean more seats, faster journey times and appealing ticket offers. A programme of refurbishment will enable customers to enjoy amazing scenic routes, like the Borders, from the comfort of modern, well equipped trains. And new partnerships with local authorities, and business and community organisations will deliver a railway that connects people from door to destination.”

The Queen will carry out the official opening at a special ceremony on Wednesday, the day she becomes Britain’s longest serving monarch.

Services will run every 30 minutes during the day on weekdays, with the journey taking under an hour to travel the full length of the line.

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