Borders railway: Tourist passengers 'crucial' to route's success

The extension of Tweedbank station could encourage tourist trips, the author has claimed

The author of a book about the Borders to Edinburgh railway has said tourist and leisure passengers could be "a crucial factor" in its success.

David Spaven said that was in contrast with the original "downbeat verdict" on the route's potential for such traffic.

He welcomed recent Scottish government backing for the important market and the "scenic qualities" of the line.

Mr Spaven also praised the Campaign for Borders Rail for pressing the case for the tourist potential of the route.

The multi-million pound rail link between Tweedbank in the Borders and Edinburgh is scheduled to open to passengers in September.

Mr Spaven, the author of Waverley Route: The battle for the Borders Railway, claimed original feasibility studies had been "incredibly lukewarm" about tourist potential.

However, the writer said that half-hourly services from Edinburgh to the Borders plus timetable provision for tourist charter trains could help the railway exceed passenger targets.

'Real concerns'

"The official traffic forecasts for the line are very conservative, equating to fewer than three passengers per train at Galashiels and at Tweedbank," he said.

"Traffic modelling techniques really haven't been able to address the non-commuting markets adequately."

He claimed there were "real concerns" about commuter use of the line due to journey times and reliability problems but he said the tourist market might be "more tolerant" of any issues.

"With the added attraction of the Great Tapestry of Scotland visitor centre to be located adjacent to Tweedbank station, my feeling is that tourist and leisure passengers to the Borders stations and to Newtongrange - for the National Mining Museum - could be the key to the railway exceeding its patronage forecasts," he said.

Abbotsford House is one of many attractions in the Borders hoping for a boost from the railway

Mr Spaven criticised the design of Stow station but praised the CBR for campaigning for an extension to the platform and tracks at Tweedbank to accommodate 12-coach charter trains.

"It would be good to see the key successes of Borders rail campaigners - largely unsung over the years - properly acknowledged during the reopening celebrations on 4 to 6 September," he added.

Last year, the then First Minister Alex Salmond said one million passengers a year could be using the Borders to Edinburgh railway within five years of it reopening.

He said the "likely estimate" of commuters using the route was about 650,000-a-year.

He said that an additional 350,000 visitors using the line to travel from Edinburgh through Midlothian to the Borders would make it the most successful scenic railway in the UK.

Meanwhile, VisitScotland has announced it is investing £367,000 in a "unique international marketing campaign" to put the new Borders Railway on the map.

The funding has been given to the national tourism organisation by the Scottish government, Scottish Borders Council and Midlothian Council to promote the "longest new domestic railway to open in the UK for over a century".

What do you think? Could the tourist use of the Borders railway actually be greater than its commuter potential? Have you bought a house in the area to take advantage of the new line or would you be tempted to take a leisure trip along the route? Email:[e-mail]

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