Last Sunday, 7th June, the tenth anniversary of the opening of the Borders Railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank was celebrated with a football festival at Galashiels in the Scottish Borders.

The festival was organised by the Borders Railway Community Partnership (BRCP), in partnership with Network Rail, ScotRail, Scottish Borders Council and the Scottish Borders Junior Football Association. It brought together thousands of young footballers and their families, including about 2,500 players, coaches and spectators from 140 boys’ and girls’ teams, to Netherdale Playing Fields in Galashiels for an afternoon of football and other community activities.

As well as the football matches, the event gave railway representatives the chance to promote railway safety, and explain about the ongoing investment in the Borders Railway and the electrification now taking place.

The festival at Galashiels was the final one in a series marking the tenth anniversary of the line, which was officially opened in 2015 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, after being closed for more than 40 years.

The project to reopen the line cost £353m, which was funded by the Scottish Government, and saw seven new stations opened along the 30-mile route.

“Seeing so many young people, families and volunteers enjoying themselves in Galashiels for the festival really demonstrates what the Borders Railway has helped achieve over the last ten years. The railway has strengthened connections and created new opportunities across the Borders, and with further investment underway, those benefits will only continue to grow.”

Jeremy Spence, Route Delivery Director, Network Rail Scotland

“The BRCP are delighted to have been involved in such an amazing event and are grateful to everyone who made it possible. To have such an event to celebrate 10 years of the Borders Railway reminds us all of what the railway means to the Borders – most of us can no longer imagine life without it. The BRCP feel privileged to support the Borders Railway in every way we can.”

Judith Cleghorn, vice chair of the Borders Railway Community Partnership