The Borders Railway connects the city of Edinburgh with Galashiels and Tweedbank in the Scottish Borders. The railway follows most of the alignment of the northern part of the Waverley Route, a former double-track line in southern Scotland and northern England that ran between Edinburgh and Carlisle. That line was controversially closed in 1969, as part of the Beeching cuts, leaving the Borders region without any access to the National Rail network. Following the closure, a campaign to revive the Waverley Route emerged. Discussion on reopening the northern part of the line came to a head during the early 2000s. Following deliberations in the Scottish Parliament, the Waverley Railway (Scotland) Act 2006 received royal assent in June 2006. The project was renamed the "Borders Railway" in August 2008, and building works began in November 2012. Passenger service on the line began on 6 September 2015, whilst an official opening by Queen Elizabeth II took place on 9 September.
Class 158 at Galashiels, August 2015
Bowshank Tunnel before the Borders Railway project, 2006
Waverley Route right-of-way near Gorebridge prior to the Borders Railway project, 2007
Footbridge over the former Waverley Route right-of-way in Galashiels. Track has since been relaid under the bridge.
Galashiels is a town in the Scottish Borders with a population of around 12,600. Its name is often colloquially shortened to "Gala". The town is a major commercial centre for the Borders region with extensive history in the textile industry. Galashiels is the location of Heriot-Watt University's School of Textiles and Design.
Galashiels
Border Reiver statue at Galashiels (by Thomas J Clapperton)
Bank Street Gardens, Galashiels
Galashiels Burgh Chambers