“Campaign for Borders Rail AGM – Resumé of David Hope-Jones’s presentation

Peter Heubeck, Campaign for Borders Rail’s Technical Adviser, has summarised the presentation given by the guest speakers at our AGM on 25 October.

The third speaker at CBR’s AGM was David Hope-Jones, chief executive of the South of Scotland Destination Alliance, an umbrella body for tourism covering the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway.

CBR’s Technical Adviser, Peter Heubeck, has provided a precis of David’s presentation:

Growth strategy – SSDA has a 10-year growth strategy, based around the slogan “Scotland starts here”. The aim is to grow visitor economy by £1BN to £1.76BN and increase employment by 6,000 to 20,000 FTE. This growth will come from becoming a year-round destination, becoming a “go to” rather than a “go through” destination and increasing the number of international visitors, (who spend more). Developing the necessary supporting infrastructure is one of the subsidiary workstreams.

Results after two years – 33% growth in value of tourism, (+£250 to over £1BN) and 14% increase in employment, (+1,933 to 15,692).

Since the Borders Railway opened – 106% increase in Scottish Borders tourism economy from £194.24M to £402.16M. Visitor days have increased by 32% from 3.59M to 4.73M, with a similar increase in visitor numbers from 1.79M to 2.32M. Tourism employment has increased from 4,630 to 6,895, (+49%).

The impact of the Center Parcs development – this £350M – £400M investment will create 1,200 permanent year-round jobs, with a combined salary of £30M – £40M. The 700 lodges will be visited by 350,000 people, (Borders population = 117,000). There will be 98% occupancy giving 2M visitor nights, (which is 1.3 times the Borders total for 2023). There will be 196,200 additional day visitors.

The benefits of completing the Borders Railway – it will create a third cross-border railway, which will attract visitors from England and create a sustainable travel option to Center Parcs. It will spread the economic benefits of the existing Borders Railway more widely. It will show that the Borders are “open for business” and will tie-in with “Scotland starts here”.

Political lobbying – the combination of the tenth anniversary, the demonstrable success of the Borders Railway and the 2026 Holyrood elections create a unique opportunity to secure political support for extending the railway. SSDA and CBR are jointly lobbying all political parties as energetically as possible.

For further comment, contact Secretary John Liddle secretary@campaignforbordersrail.org

“Campaign for Borders Rail AGM – Resumé of Ewan Tait’s presentation

Peter Heubeck, Campaign for Borders Rail’s Technical Adviser, has summarised the presentation given by the guest speakers at our AGM on 25 October.

Ewan Tait, Business Development Executive, leads ScotRail’s business development team. Having trained and worked as a professional transport planner, he first joined ScotRail’s timetable planning team before moving to business development.

Ewan’s presentation contained a lot of data and these notes only highlight key points:

• Frequency of train usage -in spite of the limited number of stations, surveys confirm that Midlothian and Borders residents use the train more frequently than the average for Scotland.

• General trend – ScotRail is showing healthy year on year growth.

• Changing Borders Railway usage – demand grew sharply and then reached a plateau surprisingly quickly after the railway opened in 2015. Travel was badly affected by the Covid pandemic. While volumes have recovered well, commuting is still lower than pre-Covid. The railway routes which have a mix of commuting and leisure traffics are doing better than those which were mostly used by commuters. Travellers commuting less frequently are now willing to live further from their office and commute a longer distance. While the usage of Midlothian stations was initially relatively low, they are now showing stronger growth. The post-Covid growth in travel from all Borders Railway stations is still continuing, which is very encouraging, (some are now exceeding their pre-Covid totals). Unsurprisingly, Edinburgh is still the dominant originating point and destination, but there is increasing travel between Borders Railway stations.

• Cancellations and delays – ScotRail is working hard to improve service reliability. A two-year pay deal has been agreed. Negotiations are being held to make Sundays part of the working week. Additional train crew are being recruited and trained. Additional train maintenance staff are being recruited and detailed technical action plans are underway to improve the reliability of the older types of trains.

• December 2025 timetable – in December there will be a significant increase in the number of long-distance passenger trains operating on the East Coast Main Line, (which is already very busy). The Borders Railway uses this route for the last / first three miles between Portobello Junction and Edinburgh Waverley. While additional congestion may affect train punctuality, ScotRail, Network Rail and other train operators are planning ahead to minimise this.

• Room for growth – the average number of passengers per train on Borders Railway is around 45, although peak services are busy at the northern end of the route. Three-coach trains can seat around 190 passengers, so encouraging more travel away from peak times is a priority.

• Encouraging growth – research by Transport Focus indicates a hierarchy of factors which would encourage passengers to travel by train more frequently. ScotRail have removed peak fares, are working hard to reduce delays and cancellations, have resolved industrial relations problems and are improving local ease of access to stations, all of these factors are rated highly by passengers.

• New trains – in order to reduce the carbon footprint of railway operations, ScotRail will be replacing many of its older trains. Various types of new electric trains will replace diesel trains. The new trains will be more user-friendly for passengers, more reliable and cheaper to operate. However, this will require a lot of investment, leaving less money available for other projects.

• An extended Borders Railway – in response to a question, Ewan said that proper research should determine the train service which is needed and this in turn should determine the infrastructure which should be provided, (and not the other way round). If the line is extended to Hawick, the nature of the service should be carefully considered, since travellers from Borders towns wouldn’t necessarily want an “all stations” stopping service.

For further comment, contact Secretary John Liddle secretary@campaignforbordersrail.org

“Campaign for Borders Rail holds a successful Annual General Meeting in Hawick. 

On Saturday 25^th October, the Campaign for Borders Rail held a well-attended AGM in Hawick Town Hall. Around 90 people were present to hear an update on the campaign and to listen to three excellent guest speakers. There were strong sales of CBR merchandise and the event was greatly assisted by tea, coffee and delicious baking from the Cogsmill Womens’ Institute. 

CBR’s Chairperson Marion Short gave an update on the year’s campaigning, with the release of the initial funds for the feasibility study and the celebrations to commemorate the10^th anniversary of the reopening of the Borders Railway to Tweedbank being key highlights. Marion called for a detailed plan explaining how the feasibility study would be tackled. 

A series of formal motions regarding CBR business were all passed. 

After lunch the meeting were treated to three excellent, but contrasting, talks by visiting speakers. 

Hugh Wark OBE, who had been Network Rail’s Project Director for the Borders Railway, explained the innumerable hurdles which had to be overcome in order to complete the railway on time and on budget. He particularly emphasised the need for thorough planning and preparation, a close working relationship with a competent principal contractor and an honest, open approach with all stakeholders.  

Ewan Tait of ScotRail gave a very interesting update on how the Borders Railway is performing now, with up to date statistics on passenger numbers and train punctuality. Strong growth in passenger numbers is continuing and, in spite of the reduction in commuting, (caused by more working from home), some stations are now busier than they were before the Covid epidemic. Ewan explained the investment ScotRail are making in staff recruitment and training and engineereing improvements, so that train delays and cancellations are minimised. 

Our final speaker was David Hope-Jones OBE, who is the Chief Executive of the South of Scotland Destination Alliance. David gave a fascinating insight into the nature of tourism in the Borders and his ambitious plan to attract many more visitors to this beautiful region. He spoke with real passion about how important extending the railway would be and explained the joint approach adopted by the SSDA and CBR in seeking the support of leading politicians to making this major strategic investment.         

For further comment, contact Secretary John Liddle secretary@campaignforbordersrail.org

“The tenth anniversary of the Borders Railway and our continuing campaigning activities have attracted a lot of positive media interest on television, radio, newspapers and the railway press. There are two good feature articles in railway magazines to which we would like to draw your attention:-

Rail Express – a four-page article by magazine editor Chris Milner on pages 72 to 75 of the current issue. 

The Railway Magazine – a five-page article by Ashley and Iona Butlin in the October issue, which will be published in a few days time. .

Both articles are well-written and illustrated with well-chosen photographs. Happy reading.

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our Annual General Meeting in Hawick Town Hall on Saturday 25th October.”

For further comment, contact Secretary John Liddle secretary@campaignforbordersrail.org

The Hawick Paper’s report of the last week’s anniversary event at the Tempest Brewery, Tweedbank, is in today’s edition (19 September, page 3).

Hawick was well represented at the event. CBR’s Chair Marion Short attended. The newspaper article focusses mainly on what Hawick Councillor and Scottish Borders Council’s Convener, Watson McAteer said in his opening speech: “ten years ago we demonstrated that with public demand and government support anything is possible”.

To read the full article, you’ll need to buy the print copy of the paper or subscribe online.

For further comment, contact Secretary John Liddle secretary@campaignforbordersrail.org

This morning (9 September) Marion Short, Chair of Campaign for Borders Rail, was a guest on Black Diamond FM’s ‘Mid Morning’ programme. She chatted with radio host Geoff Ruderham about the 10 years of the reopeed Borders Railway and the outlook for completion of the line through to Hawick and Carlisle.

If you missed it, you can catch up at:

https://Blackdiamondfm.com/catchup

The conversation between Geoff and Marion starts at 29 minute and last about 20 minutes.

For further comment, contact Secretary John Liddle secretary@campaignforbordersrail.org

10th Anniversary Civic Reception

Representatives of Campaign for Borders Rail (CBR) attended a civic reception on Wednesday 9th September marking ten years since the Borders Railway was officially opened by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The event was hosted by Cllr Watson McAteer, Convenor of Scottish Borders Council (SBC) at The Tempest Brewing Co’s excellent new taproom at Tweedbank https://www.tempestbrewco.com/.

Guests – including many who had been directly involved in delivering the Borders Railway project – enjoyed a video presentation showcasing community transformation along the route and which included a stirring call for its extension from CBR Chair Marion Short. Guests heard rousing speeches from SBC leaders past and present, and long-time advocate of the Borders Railway Christine Grahame MSP, reflecting on what had been achieved and their ambitions to see the line extended. Speakers highlighted the crucial contributions of campaigners, including the late Madge Elliot MBE of Hawick, and CBR’s first chair Petra Biberbach, while the ongoing efforts of CBR were praised.  CBR’s Peter Heubeck eloquently outlined the Campaign’s hopes for the now-funded official feasibility work on extending the line. 

The formal proceedings concluded with an address by Scottish Government Transport Secretary, Fiona Hyslop MSP who affirmed her government’s commitment to the feasibility process through the joint Borderlands growth deal agreed with the UK Government. 

For further comment, contact Secretary John Liddle secretary@campaignforbordersrail.org

The First Minister praises the benefits of the Borders Railway at 10^th anniversary event. 

Marion Short, the Chair of the Campaign for Borders Rail and Peter Heubeck, our Technical Advisor, were delighted to be present at an event held on Saturday 6^th September in The Great Tapestry building in Galashiels, which was organised by Network Rail to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the reopening of the Borders Railway to Tweedbank. The event was led by the Rt. Hon. John Swinney MSP, the First Minister, with around one hundred regional and national politicians, local government officers, community leaders and rail industry figures present. The First Minister and other speakers emphasised both the popularity of the service, (around 13 million journeys so far), and the the wide range of social and economic benefits which have stemmed from the reopened line. 

Looking to the future, Fiona Hyslop MSP, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport had just confirmed approval for discontinuous electrification and new trains for the Borders Railway and speakers also referred to the importance of the feasibility study into extending the line. 

There was a large media presence at the event and many media outlets have been featuring the anniversary, highlighting the success of the service and the wider community benefits which have resulted from it. 

Scottish Borders Council will be holding a celebratory civic reception on Tuesday 9^th September, to which, among many others, current and previous rail campaigners have been invited. 

For further comment, contact Secretary John Liddle secretary@campaignforbordersrail.org

How has the Borders Railway changed the towns and villages it serves? And what do its reopening and successes say about transport policy in Scotland?

This article in the Herald newspaper investigates, with comments from local residents in Newtongrange, Gorebridge, Stow and Galashiels. There’s a quote about Hawick’s lack of a railway from Campaign for Borders Rail’s Chair, Marion Short. David Parker, formerly leader of Scottish Borders Council is quoted extensively.

https://www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/25439674.said-new-golden-age-rail-worked/?fbclid=IwY2xjawMqdcJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHsa_s7kMoHcHp2HK5Uxi8btn6MYTr1VVzKuAVoeE51p3gjlP1xF5qKfuhPjt_aem_jjKm_v4h7aPQktHIhHL7jA

For further comment, contact Secretary John Liddle secretary@campaignforbordersrail.org

A fantastic achievement for the railway and all those involved! John Swinney visits Galashiels to mark 10 years of Borders Railway

https://www.bordertelegraph.com/news/galashiels/25446801.john-swinney-visits-galashiels-mark-10-years-borders-railway/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawMqdK1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHshhiZq6uLqVW7UpUz_pMuBNQxRL-n5iPD0p14vnC1vb-rRySdeyw42zDhgX_aem_zYafkZF2I2P9z1I7dnUhHg#Echobox=1757198039

For further comment, contact Secretary John Liddle secretary@campaignforbordersrail.org