Borders Railway performance summit arranged

Members of the public are to be given their chance to question senior ScotRail executives about performance on the Borders Railway.

It comes after a string of concerns about overcrowding and cancellations on the Edinburgh to Tweedbank line.

MP John Lamont said it would give rail users the chance to "speak directly" to the company.

The meeting is being held at the Border College campus in Galashiels on the evening of 9 May.

'Hear directly'

Mr Lamont said: "Cancellations and overcrowding on the Borders Railway continue to be a problem despite repeated assurances from ScotRail that things would get better.

"It is useful that senior figures at ScotRail are now coming to the Borders to hear directly from rail users."

The issue of performance on the route has also been raised again in the Scottish Parliament by MSP Christine Grahame.

It came after a number of "planned cancellations" on Easter weekend.

'Passionate advocate'

"I am a passionate advocate of the benefits of Borders Railway, having campaigned for its re-opening since my election in 1999," said Ms Grahame.

"Those benefits, however, are only felt when the service operates at a level where passengers can actually rely on it."

ScotRail has repeatedly apologised to customers who experience overcrowding or cancellations.

It admitted recently it had been a "challenging time" for Scotland's railways but said it was working "flat-out" to improve things.

It said it was confident that investment would help it give customers the service they "expect and deserve".