Meeting of the Parliament 04 September 2025
I, too, congratulate Bob Doris on securing the debate. I am delighted to speak, not only because I am a custodian—I jest—of the Borders railway but because I just love trains. That is particularly useful, as I am terrified of flying, but I digress.
The removal of peak-time rail fares is brilliant. It makes rail so much the better choice for commuters who travel to work or college, for example, and for commuting not just out of the Borders but into the Borders, where the cost of housing is much more reasonable than in the city and where there are excellent schools.
The story of the Borders railway, which on 9 September celebrates its 10th birthday, is one of unmitigated success. The passenger numbers that I am about to give represent thousands of journeys off the Borders roads, reducing congestion into the city of Edinburgh. Here are just a few stats. Borders railway footfall was nearly 2 million in 2019-20, which significantly exceeds the initial projected 600,000 annual passengers. That demonstrates a successful reintroduction of all rail services to the area after decades of local campaigning—and failure of the union.
More recently published figures show that, at some stations, the number of travellers increased by more than 30 per cent during 2023-24. The highest percentage increases were at Tweedbank station, which saw a 32.4 per cent increase, and at Gorebridge station, which had a 32.9 per cent increase. Although, nationally, Scotland enjoyed a 16 per cent uplift in the number of passenger journeys, local figures for stations in that section of the Borders line exceeded that impressive rise by a considerable margin.
The reduction in the daily return fare from Edinburgh to Tweedbank, for example, which was £22.50 before the abolition of peak fares and is now £15.10, will only serve to increase usage and reduce congestion and emissions. Keeping with the day return—you can, of course, buy weekly, monthly, seasonal and other tickets, with even more cost savings—I note that its reduction in price of more than £7 a day equates to a saving of £35 for the week and, for a working month, say, £140. Take another step up and it could be £1,500 a year. That is a huge economic bonus in this time of raging food inflation and energy costs. Other concessions and discounts still apply, including the kids-for-a-quid £1 ticket, which has already been referenced.
The Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen supports the removal of peak-time rail fares. For me, that approach underlines the value of our railway system—although not the network—being in public ownership; we can avoid the costs and complexities that are so obvious in England, with its range of private companies and bewildering plethora of prices—all of which Sue Webber managed to dodge. On top of that, it adds to the argument for extending the line to Carlisle; there is a £10 million feasibility study to see whether an extension of the railway through the Borders to Carlisle would be financially viable—that case, I think, is proven. What has happened with the railway in the past 10 years shows that the extension is important. That is all a good thing and is assisted by the abolition of peak fares.
By the way—I am sorry that Sue Webber is the only Conservative here to hear this—the Conservatives initially opposed the return of the Borders railway. I have been here so long that I remember that.
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