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8 Reasons to Love The Borders Railway

5/10/2016

2 Comments

 
Picture
Borders Railway. Image from networkrail.co.uk
Scotland’s newest railway and the longest railway to be built in the UK in 100 years is the Borders Railway. It travels from Edinburgh to Tweedbank in the area of Scotland called the Borders. The line has opened up an entire region to bicycle day trips.
 
In 1969 this railway line was closed as part of the cuts recommended by Doctor Richard Beeching. This left the Scottish Borders as the only region of Britain without trains. The original line went to Carlisle in England and in 2015 it reopened as far as Tweedbank. The line was officially opened by The Queen on the same day that she became Britain's longest serving monarch. The railway has been a huge success with passenger numbers 22% greater than the forecast.

​8 Reasons to Love the Borders Railway:


1. Instant Access to Superb Cycling Routes
Picture
Cycle route signage near Tweedbank station
As soon as you get off the train at Tweedbank there is a cycle path right in front of you. This is National Cycle Route One and it takes you to many of the attractions of The Scottish Borders. Melrose, with its historic abbey, is only 2.5 miles away.

The railway now makes it easy to take a bike to a region of Scotland that was challenging to get to by public transport. In the past you would have to take a train to Berwick-upon-Tweed in England in order to cycle into the Scottish Borders. This necessitated overnight trips, but the new railway makes day trips easy.


​2.. Stately Home Day Trips
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
There are some magnificent houses in the Borders, all within reasonable cycling distance from the railway. Fine art, antique furniture, stunning plaster ceilings, tea rooms and walks in the gardens are the reasons to come to these houses. Mellerstain (top left photo) is 11 miles from Tweedbank, Thirlestane Castle (top right) is 6 miles from Stow station, Bowhill (bottom left) is 9 miles from Tweedbank and Traquair (bottom right) is 16 miles from Tweedbank.


3. One of The Great Scenic Railway Journeys of Scotland
Picture
View from the train carriage on the Borders Railway
Scotrail promotes this line as one of six Great Scenic rail journeys in Scotland. Once you leave Gorebridge station (4 stops after Edinburgh) the urban areas fade from view and what you see out of the train window starts to become spectacular. There are forests, rivers and rolling hills populated with grazing sheep. A tunnel, viaducts and lots of curves give the line character and a touch of excitement.


4. Short Journey Time
Picture
Tweedbank station, last stop on the Borders Railway
Edinburgh to Tweedbank takes just less than one hour. It is incredible that this close to the capital city there are open spaces and miles of quiet cycle routes. For the ultimate rural experience get off at Stow station. It is only 45 minutes from Edinburgh, but feels far, far away and provides access to quiet country roads.


5. Cheaper Tickets
Picture
A return train ticket from Edinburgh to Tweedbank
A competitive fare structure was deliberately introduced to encourage travel on the Borders Railway. This means that you can travel to the end of the line for £10.10 single or £11.20 off-peak return (correct as of October 2016).

​6. No Bicycle Reservations
Picture
Bicycle storage area on a Class 158 train, the type of train used on the Borders Railway
Borders Railway does not require bicycle reservations. This makes it a good option for impulsive, last-minute trips as you do not need to book your bicycle in advance. Some other rail routes have mandatory reservations for bicycles that can become fully booked, so you need to plan these journeys in advance. With the Borders Railway you just turn up and go.

7. The Brewery Next to the Station
Picture
A selection of beers from Tempest Brewing Company, based at Tweedbank in the Scottish Borders
Take home a taste of the Borders. Tempest Brewing is located in the industrial estate next to Tweedbank station. You will notice signs, near the station, directing you to the brewery where the shop is open on weekdays. Tempest was voted Scottish brewery of the year in 2016. They even produce a beer specifically for cyclists, which I previously reviewed. 

8. Visit the Home of one of Scotland's Greatest Writers
Picture
Abbotsford, home of Walter Scott, seen from the banks of the River Tweed
Less than 1 mile from Tweedbank is Abbotsford, the home of Sir Walter Scott. In the nineteenth century Scott was one of Scotland's most prolific writers, producing 23 bestsellers and achieving worldwide fame. You can explore many of the rooms of Abbotsford, including Scott's wood-paneled study.


Excellent book about the Borders Railway
This book delves into the history of the original railway, its closure and then the campaigning and political journey to get it reopened. A fascinating read and full of photographs. You can purchase it on Amazon by clicking on the image below:
2 Comments
Ron Hutchison
24/10/2016 09:59:40 am

Liked the article but only two bikes per train makes it a lottery for travel.

Reply
Colin
24/10/2016 01:39:33 pm

Hi Ron. Thanks. Yes, the two bikes per train is not great. Luckily I have never had a problem, but I mostly travel off-peak on weekdays, so probably less likely to be full of bikes. Have you had problems?

On my most recent trip I noticed that the train set they used had the usual 2 bike spaces in the vestibule, but the disabled area also could take another 2 bikes, so 4 all together and you can usually fit another couple in. Although on the door of the train it is only marked with the wheelchair symbol, but once you get on the coach it is clear that the area can also be used for bikes. But I am not sure how often this particular train set is used.

I have also been on a set that still had the old catering trolley cabinet in place. These were in the original design of these trains and it was where the catering trolley was stored, but in later years these cabinets were removed to create the bike space. However, on this old train I had to fit my bike into this cabinet and it was doubtful that a second bike would go in there. Plus the ramp for the wheelchair access was stored in the cabinet, so the guard had to try to get in past my bike to get the ramp in and out. Really not ideal, so I hope that they take these cabinets away.

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    My name is Colin Baird and I want to see all of Scotland by bicycle. Follow my blog on Facebook:

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    • Family-Friendly Bike Holidays in Scotland
    • Mountain Biking Guide
  • Travel Writing Projects/Working with Me
  • Best Cycling Books
  • Diary of a Cycle Commuter