More than four million journeys have been made on the Borders Railway since it opened to customers three years ago today (September 6).

The popularity of the 30-mile stretch of track linking Edinburgh with the Scottish Borders has led to year on year increases, with a further 5.8 per cent boost to numbers achieved this year; an impressive 1.5 million journeys in total.

As the longest new line built in the UK for over a century, the iconic route takes customers between Tweedbank and Edinburgh in less than an hour, with a half hourly service for most of the day.

The project, which involved both ScotRail and Network Rail, included seven new stations – at Shawfair, Eskbank, Newtongrange, Gorebridge, Stow, Galashiels and Tweedbank.

Since its official opening by Her Majesty the Queen in 2015, the line has had a significant economic and social impact on the area – helping to secure ready access to Edinburgh for people across the Borders, and connecting the region to the whole of Scotland.

Alex Hynes, ScotRail Alliance Managing Director, said:

“The Borders Railway continues to provide a strong and reliable transport connection, benefiting employment, leisure, tourism, and business.

“We are committed to building the best railway Scotland has ever had and this line is helping us to deliver that, transforming the way people across Midlothian and the Borders travel.

“Reaching the milestone figure of more than four million passenger journeys demonstrates the success of what was an ambitious project and I look forward to its continued growth.”

Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, said:

“The Borders Railway has been a phenomenal success as it continues to grow in both popularity and bringing benefits to the local economy. The ongoing increase in passenger numbers since it opened three years ago demonstrates it is acting as a catalyst for investment while opening up employment, leisure and education opportunities for communities along its length.

“We continue to look at ways to develop the potential of the line and the recommendations from the Borders Transport Corridors Study will, in turn, feed into the on-going Strategic Transport Projects Review.”