A new report has revealed that ScotRail has boosted the Scottish economy by £4 billion in 2024.

The report, which is quite technical, can be viewed at https://www.scotrail.co.uk/…/independant-economic…

See the link below for a special ScotRail advertising feature in the Daily Record. Focus is on the Borders Railway, and in particular Stow Station.

The article quotes Joanne Maguire, Managing Director of ScotRail:

“Our stations throughout the country play such an important role for local people, providing much more than just a place they can get on and off a train. Stow is a perfect example of the positive impact the railway has on the economy and the opportunities for engagement with local communities.

The success of the Borders Railway and its ripple effect on communities in Scotland is another example of how your ticket goes further than you think.”

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/special-features/scottish-communities-reclaim-spark-thanks-35103266?int_source=dailyrecord-https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailyrecord.co.uk%2F&int_medium=shop-window-1&int_campaign=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailyrecord.co.uk%2Fspecial-features%2Fscottish-communities-reclaim-spark-thanks-35103266&fbclid=IwY2xjawKQcNZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBUNUpJUUdlTUN2Z2dKMkNJAR4hgRRQHMZqawok6KSfbtdNpbdY2dHhjAjizrekvM6Uxh47g6HR5A3jmC2zrw_aem_hZzDbSH6morL6hHKp612VA

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

News that the Scottish Government will abolish peak rail fares as from 1 September has been welcomed by many organisations, including the Scottish Green Party, Aslef, the Scottish Trade Unions Congress, RMT and Transform Scotland.

Read more at:

https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/peak-scotrail-fares-to-be-scrapped-for-good-by-snp-government-5115286?utm_source=onesignal&utm_medium=push&utm_campaign=2025-05-06-

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

This week’s RAIL magazine features a six page article by Andy Comfort on the feasibility study and the case for extending the Borders Railway. Well illustrated with a number of photographs, including a great aerial shot of Shankend viaduct, the feature also includes two user-friendly maps. It draws on both written sources and interviews and is well-written.

The magazine, which costs £4.99, is fortnightly, so it will be available at newsagents for up to two weeks or via the link http://www.railmagazine.com/about/latest-issue

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

NEW CBR MERCHANDISE

TOTEM SIGN FRIDGE MAGNETS – AVAILABLE AS A SET OF FOUR OR INDIVIDUALLY

GALASHIELS, HAWICK, MELROSE and ST. BOSWELLS

NOW IN STOCK

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

NEW CBR MERCHANDISE

10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BORDERS RAIL – COMMEMORATIVE MUG

NOW IN STOCK,

JUST £12 including postage to a UK address.

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

Feasibility Study Progress. 

News of the appointment of Turner & Townsend to carry out the feasibility study on extending the Borders Railway came out just too late to be included in The Hawick Paper last week. But today’s edition (18 April, page 5) reports on this news in more detail, with statements from Councillor Watson McAteer, Convener of Scottish Borders Council, and from Marion Short, Chair of Campaign for Borders Rail.

Cllr McAteer notes that Turner & Townsend have appointed a senior project manager and support team who have extensive experience in managing conplex railway-related projects, and he urges members of the public to ‘get behind’ convincing the Scottish and UK governments to complete the railway.

Marion Short says that the next edition of Campaign for Borders Rail’s newsletter is due for imminent release, and the front page article by the Campaign’s technical adviser Peter Heubeck explains in far greater detail about the feasibility study and the new appointment. CBR’s newsletter is circulated only to members of the Campaign, and now is a good time to join us or renew your membership of it’s lapsed. Membership starts from £10 a year. Details at https://campaignforbordersrail.org/support/

The Hawick Paper is in local shops today, or can be viewed online by subscription. See https://thehawickpaper.co.uk/subscribe/

Notes for editors:

The Campaign for Borders Rail is a long-established pressure group promoting the benefits of modern train services for communities across the Borderlands. Our grassroots campaign saw the rail link from Edinburgh to the Scottish Borders reopened. Now we’re lobbying to extend the popular Borders Railway onward to Hawick and Carlisle. Visit the Campaign website for further details.

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

Feasibility Study Progress. 

https://www.bordertelegraph.com/news/25084502.business-case-borders-railway-extension-progress

With the feasibility study now going ahead thanks to funding committed by the UK and Scottish government, the Campaign continues its work, and we encourage you to sign up as Campaign members, or renew your membership if it’s lapsed. See https://campaignforbordersrail.org/support/membership/ for details.

Notes for editors:

The Campaign for Borders Rail is a long-established pressure group promoting the benefits of modern train services for communities across the Borderlands. Our grassroots campaign saw the rail link from Edinburgh to the Scottish Borders reopened. Now we’re lobbying to extend the popular Borders Railway onward to Hawick and Carlisle. Visit the Campaign website for further details.

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

Feasibility Study Progress. 

Here is the official statement from Scottish Borders Council about the award of the contract for the feasibility study.

https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/news/article/4755/business-case-for-potential-extension-of-the-borders-railway-to-be-produced-following-key-appointment?fbclid=IwY2xjawJpmeNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHhBu-LeWSp0LTtoxZLncwNdLIsmPljozdLC8ERcM25EY3zr21gL6aoO2ZRsd_aem_V7cwVkRMopSdHfPUeQ2XOg

With the feasibility study now going ahead thanks to funding committed by the UK and Scottish government, the Campaign continues its work, and we encourage you to sign up as Campaign members, or renew your membership if it’s lapsed. See https://campaignforbordersrail.org/support/membership/ for details.

Notes for editors:

The Campaign for Borders Rail is a long-established pressure group promoting the benefits of modern train services for communities across the Borderlands. Our grassroots campaign saw the rail link from Edinburgh to the Scottish Borders reopened. Now we’re lobbying to extend the popular Borders Railway onward to Hawick and Carlisle. Visit the Campaign website for further details.

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

Feasibility Study Progress. 

Marion Short, Chair of CBR and Peter Heubeck, Technical Adviser had a positive meeting on Tuesday 8^th April with Councillors Euan Jardine and Watson McAteer, who are respectively the Leader and Convener of Scottish Borders Council. We were delighted to be informed that the long-awaited appointment of a project manager for the feasibility study was imminent. They were as good as their word, because Scottish Borders Council have now issued a press release confirming the appointment of the well-known firm of Turner and Townsend to project manage the study. We look forward to working with the Council and their project manager and hope for rapid progress.   

With the feasibility study now going ahead thanks to funding committed by the UK and Scottish government, the Campaign continues its work, and we encourage you to sign up as Campaign members, or renew your membership if it’s lapsed. See https://campaignforbordersrail.org/support/membership/ for details.

Notes for editors:

The Campaign for Borders Rail is a long-established pressure group promoting the benefits of modern train services for communities across the Borderlands. Our grassroots campaign saw the rail link from Edinburgh to the Scottish Borders reopened. Now we’re lobbying to extend the popular Borders Railway onward to Hawick and Carlisle. Visit the Campaign website for further details.

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

As followers of the Campaign will be aware, Carlisle Railway Station is the southern destination for our hoped-for extension of the Borders Railway south from Tweedbank via Hawick.

Carlisle Station held its Easter Fayre today (5th April) in aid of Marie Curie, the UK’s leading ‘end of life’ charity.

Campaign for Borders Rail is grateful to Diane Forrester, Community Champion for Avanti West Coast, who kindly invited us to display our publicity banner during the event.

And CBR committee member David Howe reports that many of our leaflets were taken by members of the travelling public.

With the feasibility study now going ahead thanks to funding committed by the UK and Scottish government, the Campaign continues its work, and we encourage you sign up as Campaign members, or renew your membership if it’s lapsed. See https://campaignforbordersrail.org/support/membership/ for details.

Notes for editors:

The Campaign for Borders Rail is a long-established pressure group promoting the benefits of modern train services for communities across the Borderlands. Our grassroots campaign saw the rail link from Edinburgh to the Scottish Borders reopened. Now we’re lobbying to extend the popular Borders Railway onward to Hawick and Carlisle. Visit the Campaign website for further details.

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