Steam trains to make return to Borders line

THE first steam trains will travel along the new Borders Railway line in September, ScotRail has confirmed.

The 60009 Union Of South Africa . Picture: submitted

The 60009 Union of South Africa will haul the service between Edinburgh Waverley and Tweedbank on 10 September, four days after the railway opens.

It is one of six remaining LNER Class A4 steam locomotives in the UK, which were built in Doncaster in 1937. The train will run through the Borders three days a week for six weeks.

Mike Cantlay, the chairman of VisitScotland, said the steam trains would be an additional boost to tourism in the region.

He said: “The opening of the Borders Railway is a fantastic opportunity for Scottish tourism and the introduction of steam trains is excellent news.

“It is a chance for passengers to step back in time and enjoy the beautiful countryside on another level as these majestic locomotives make their way through Midlothian.