Guide to Places in The BordersNow that the Borders Railway has (re)opened, it is easier to get to places in the Borders without long trek by bike along the A7.
As usual with any major projects in Britain the new railway is not all it could be because of the stupid penny pinching that is always prevalent and ends up costing far more than it would have originally when capacity and scope has to be expanded. With the Borders Railway, a decision was taken to make it mainly a single track line with some passing loops, though even the extent of these loops was cut back. Provision has been made in some places for a doubling of the line, but even where this has been done it will be expensive and disruptive to do. At least the platforms have all been built for 6 car trains, but the initial service has seen overcrowded 2 car trains the norm. The railway currently only goes as far as Tweedbank (this did not have a station on the old railway as it didn't exist) and seems to have been chosen as it is as far as the new railway can get without some expensive issues getting the railway through Melrose, as the former route has been used for the A6901 Melrose by-pass. The success so far of the reopened railway will hopefully see extensions to the railway to undo one of the worst closures stemming from the era of Transport Minister Ernest Marples. |
Page Under Construction
https://www.riccartonjunction.org/melrose-history.html
https://www.riccartonjunction.org/melrose.html https://www.riccartonjunction.org/directions.html The Borders - including areas now within Dumfries and Galloway (see SW Scotland) -have a very turbulent and violent history due to many territorial disputes between England and Scotland, as well as more localised raids by the Reivers.
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Photos on this page were taken by me. Click on photo to enlarge. Full size versions available on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/martynjenkins/sets/72157632908940822
http://www.flickr.com/photos/martynjenkins/sets/72157632908940822