THE BORDERS Railway was thrilled to welcome aboard its 500,000th passenger since opening less than five months ago.

This puts the popular service over 20 per cent ahead of forecast, with passenger numbers expected to continue to exceed expectations throughout the rest of the year.

The £353 million railway, which reopened in September 2015, connects the Borders and Midlothian with the Scottish rail network. 

Derek Mackay MSP, Minister for Transport and Islands and Phil Verster, Managing Director of the ScotRail Alliance celebrated the landmark with awarding the 500,000th passenger, Sarah Eno, with a season ticket.

Phil Verster commented: 
“We are less than five months into delivering the new Borders services and it’s clear that the Borders Railway is a huge success story for Scotland and for the rail industry.

"We had a sense in September that Borders was going to be popular but no-one expected us to reach 500,000 passengers so quickly.

“We had a huge surge of interest during September and October and, since then, passenger numbers have stabilised. Demand is still high – consistently over 20,000 journeys per week – but we are in a better position now to understand our peaks and troughs and when we need to add extra carriages to our services.

“This year, our focus is on further establishing the service and helping the communities of Midlothian and the Scottish Borders to make the most of this huge economic opportunity.

"We expect to see a big uplift in tourists during Easter and summer and during the big events such as the Melrose 7s, the Borders book festival and the Common Ridings. We look forward to welcoming everyone on board.”

Mr Mackay is pleased that the popularity of the Borders Railway has positively impacted the economy of the Borders.

He said: “In addition to strong passenger demand, local businesses are reporting increased footfall and extended trading hours since September, which is testament to the positive differences that the £353 million investment is making to the economy of the local area."

Scottish Borders Council Leader, Councillor David Parker has called the milestone an 'incredible acheivement.'

He said: “With journey numbers consistently over 20,000 per week, the railway is continuing to be well used for work and recreation by Borderers, as well as those coming from the rest of Scotland, the UK and overseas to visit our region.

“I am sure that with the Borders Railway Blueprint programme now underway, we shall see further benefits through the creation of new jobs, stimulation of growth in our businesses and investment in our area.”