126,000 passengers in a month for Borders Railway

Nearly 126,000 journeys have been made on the Borders Railway since the line opened one month ago today.

The Borders railway opened to the public in September. Picture: Ian Rutherford

With 192 services running on the line each week, demand has been so high that ScotRail has had to added extra carriages to busy trains, particularly at weekday peak hours and at weekends, following complaints of overcrowding.

The 125,971 total passenger journeys on the route between Edinburgh and Tweedbank have included students, commuters, tourists and rail enthusiasts - some whom travelled on the line before it closed in 1969.

Before the middle of this month, the £353 million line is also expected to have carried 17 sold-out steam trains carrying around 6,200 passengers.

Phil Verster, the managing director of the ScotRail Alliance, said: “The incredible interest in the Borders Railway over the first few weeks highlights what a remarkable achievement has been made by the opening of the new line.”

Transport minister Derek Mackay said: “The historic reopening of the Borders Railway has clearly captured people’s interest and I am delighted to see the soaraway success of services and impressive passenger numbers.”

Scottish Borders Council leader David Parker said: “I was always confident it would be a success, but even a passionate railway supporter such as myself has been taken aback by the huge numbers who have embraced the new service.”