Late-night services 'temporarily withdrawn' to allow for electrification of Borders Railway
Last updated 1 day ago
Two late-night services on the Borders Railway are being temporarily withdrawn to allow work needed for the electrification of the line.
The 11.19pm train from Tweedbank to Edinburgh and 11.44pm from Edinburgh to Tweedbank are affected - Mondays to Thursdays.
Passengers are being advised to check before they travel.
The announcement comes as ScotRail confirms details of its timetable changes that will come into effect from Sunday (May 17th).
The 6.47am Kingussie to Inverness service will also be withdrawn due to low customer demand, with fewer than 10 passengers travelling on the service on average each day.
Mark Ilderton, ScotRail Service Delivery Director, said: “We are introducing a number of timetable changes, the majority of which are on Saturdays and Sundays to meet the growing demand for leisure travel.
“These additional services will provide customers with more choice and flexibility, helping more people travel by rail for leisure, events, and days out.
“There are a small number of changes for operational requirements and planned engineering works so the Borders route can be electrified, making rail travel more sustainable.
“Customers should check their regular journeys before travelling, as some train times may have changed.”
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In February, engineers began preparing the ground for piling works on sections of the route to be electrified between Newcraighall and Shawfair, and from Bowshank Tunnel to Tweedbank station.
Lynsey Maclean, scheme project manager at Network Rail Scotland, said: “The Borders Railway was rebuilt with future electrification in mind, which means we can deliver this work with far less intrusive engineering than is required on many older parts of the network, where we often need to lower track or raise bridges.
"The infrastructure here is already suitable for this next stage of modernisation."
Meanwhile, efforts to secure an extension of the Borders Railway to Hawick and on to Carlisle are to continue with the award of a £1m consultancy contract.
Turner & Townsend were appointed as senior project managers in March last year.
Now consultancy work to help support the business case is currently out to tender, with appointments expected to be made this month.
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A report presented to members of Scottish Borders Council’s Executive committee states: “The cost of the consultancy work is estimated to be in the region of £1 million and the strategic outline business case process could take up to 18 months to complete.
“This budget and time-scales will be confirmed following the completion of the procurement process in May 2026.
“A report will be brought back to a future committee to confirm the appointment of the consultants tasked with delivering the work associated with the development of the business case.
“The development of a dedicated web-page on the council’s website is also currently underway.
“When complete, this web-page will provide project updates and will help to answer frequently asked questions on the project.”
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