The LNER Encyclopedia

Over the weekend the Waverley route has slowly awakened with the first service trains running today (Sunday) I do have an awful lot of material sent to me but its all private so when one of the main TV companies do a piece I will drop in a link.

52D wrote:Over the weekend the Waverley route has slowly awakened with the first service trains running today (Sunday) I do have an awful lot of material sent to me but its all private so when one of the main TV companies do a piece I will drop in a link.

Class 158 unit at Watherston near Stow heading for Tweedbank. (Pic by Ronald Richardson courtesy of FB Railways of Berwick and the Eastern Borders).

Isn't HMQ opening one of the stations on Wednesday?

Yes JW that's the official opening but Commuter trains started today.

There is an interesting item on the BBC news website including an interview with John Cameron.

I wondered what the back up might be - it is answered in the video clip.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-s ... d-34177585

Extensive live coverage on BBC News channel until just now of HM The Queen's road arrival at Waverley to travel on, and the departure of, the line's official opening steam special behind 60009, which left at approx. 11:16.

In the last couple of minutes prior to departure, footage of the loco emitting steam while stationary at the head of the train awaiting the 'right-away' was narrated as the engine - '.... revving up getting into position to pull the train'.

Earlier there was evidence that 'it' is now official! (? ) : - a senior BBC news presenter at Buckingham Palace handed over to his colleague who was awaiting the Queen's arrival - ".... at the train station in Edinburgh".

The BBC are reporting tonight that almost 126,000 passengers have been carried in the first month of operation: even allowing for a large number of people trying it out because it is a novelty, it still means that annual figures could be approaching a million.
The business case for the line was based on a possible 650,000 passengers per year, so things look promising.
Could be a bit of a poke in the eye for those councillors and local know it alls who predicted that it would be a failure.
The calls for a southern extension to Hawick are getting louder and I have heard that a feasibility study was carried out into the possibility of running along the old Tweed Valley line to Kelso.

The Kelso/Roxburgh/Jedburgh options were in the original study it would be interesting to see these stations back on the map. The trouble is lack of centres of population to the east of the route. If RAGES get there way with a reopened Reston another possibility for Scotrail to think about would be a Lothians and Border Circle using the old Berwickshire railway as a joint between the Waverley and the ECML with stations initially at Greenlaw, Duns and Chirnside linking to a reopened Reston, Ayton, Drem and East Linton plus using the existing Dunbar.

Latest news http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-s ... 10?SThisFB

Used the Border Railway from Tweedbank as ParknRide into Edinburgh (& return) at the end of November.
Impressed ! Hope that the extension happens, as it definitely well used.

Stoneroad, that's same way we sampled the route. We were also impressed but reading quite a lot of reports it seems facilities need upgrading at Tweedbank. The main concern being lack of toilets and shelter plus the age old complaint of nowhere to get a cuppa.
There are places nearby but not really within easy walking especially if you are less able bodied.

Not sure whether it is OK to revive this thread but apparently the Borders Line has impacted the parallel bus service so badly that First Group is to sell its services. Touch of the Titfield Thunderbolt
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-s ... d-39204467

PinzaC55 wrote:Not sure whether it is OK to revive this thread but apparently the Borders Line has impacted the parallel bus service so badly that First Group is to sell its services. Touch of the Titfield Thunderbolt
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-s ... d-39204467

can't help but find that a little bit humorous, a train line that was said would never make much money has been so successful it's outdoing the local busses

another nail in the coffin for Beeching's "modernisation" plan

It also makes you wonder, quite apart from what would happen if the closed lines through populous areas were reopened, what if they had never been closed in the first place ?
All reopened lines have vastly exceeded the projected figures and in the case of just one Waverley Line station (Stow) it is carrying 5 times as many people as the feasibility study projected.

G'day Gents

I think it could be a case of, the Councils hate to provide car parking spaces in the city, Buses are notoriously slow, but now we have a situation, were people can jump on the train 'pop' into town, do want they need to do, all in one day.

manna