This month is the 5th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the Borders Railway.
Train services were restored from Edinburgh through Midlothian to Tweedbank. Trains began to run over the 30 mile route for the first time in over 40 years.
Since the re-opening, over 6 million passenger journeys have been made. The Borders Railway has been a catalyst for change in the area, with investment into local communities. One hundred fifty hectares of land have been developed for commercial use near the railway and 10,000 new homes have been built.
Film footage was broadcast at Edinburgh Waverley station to mark the anniversary along with a dedication by poet Erin Boye.
Pupils from local primary schools are being invited to enter a competition to create posters to highlight what makes their area special. Winners will be picked later on this year and will be displayed at the seven stations which were completed as part of the railway, Shawfair, Eskbank, Newtongrange, Gorebridge, Stow, Galashiels and Tweedbank.
Alex Hynes, managing director, Scotland's Railway, said: “The Borders Railway has been a phenomenal success in every sense – from the huge numbers of passengers using the railway over the last five years to encouraging wider economic investment within the communities it serves.
“The extraordinary circumstances we have all experienced this year means the railway, like our wider society, has risen to new challenges as we've worked to keep passengers and freight moving across Scotland.
“While this has fundamentally changed some of the ways Scotland's Railway operates, we remain committed to further improving our infrastructure, including the Borders Railway, to ensure we continue to support local opportunities for growth and enhancement.”
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Bring back the former Waverley Line that used to go to Carlisle. And to link it up with the existing Borders Line at Tweedbank.
If only the Waverley Line still existed today then it would of helped with the relief of the congestion on the West Coast Main Line to the north of Carlisle. And with Class 170 & Class 158 DMUs operating between Edinburgh Waverley & Carlisle via Tweedbank. And with the proposal to electrify the Waverley Line if necessary. The government should bring back the former Waverley Line.
Even though I’ve never (nor as of yet) Visited Scotland ‘in-person’… I’d still look forward to Visiting the Scottish Borders,
Especially for A Train Journey Along this Stretch of the Waverley Route ‘in-person’.
Exactly 5 Years On from this Northerly Stretch of the Historic Waverley Route at long last Reopening (Currently as far as Tweedbank)… And Parts of the Scottish Borders let alone adjacent Economies in-between are being As Reshaped As Ever.
The Borders Railway (Which I for One Believe) still has Potential to see this Historic Railway line extend mostly as far as the Town of Hawick.