More than one million passengers have used the Borders Railway since it was officially opened by the Queen.

The figure was announced by Transport Minister Humza Yousaf and ScotRail Alliance managing director Phil Verster at Edinburgh’s Waverley station.

The first services ran on the route from Tweedbank to Edinburgh on 6 September last year.

However, the opening ceremony was carried out by the Queen three days later.

The date coincided with her becoming Britain’s longest-serving monarch.

The popularity of the route has considerably exceeded initial forecasts.

Borders railway blue train

It had been predicted about 650,000 passengers a year would use the line but that figure was passed within its first six months.

Mr Yousaf and ScotRail Alliance staff were joined by passengers and local businesses from along the line of route to celebrate the impact the new railway has had on Midlothian and the Borders.

Abbotsford House, Sir Walter Scott’s former home in the Borders, has recorded a 12% increase in visitor numbers this year.

Research by the Moffat Centre has also shown that overall visits to Midlothian and Borders tourist attractions increased by 4% and 6.9% over the first seven months of 2016, compared with the same period last year.

Mr Yousaf said: “I am delighted that we are continuing to see the Borders Railway go from strength to strength with over one million passengers using the line during its inaugural year.

“Not only has the railway linked the communities in the Borders and Midlothian with the wider Scottish rail network for the first time in 46 years, but the increased accessibility has breathed new life into the region, boosting tourism and employment opportunities.

“We are now committed to working with ScotRail to strengthen the railway operationally, increasing capacity and delivering a comprehensive programme of refurbishments to rolling stock, which will mean more passengers can travel in greater comfort in the future.”

‘Very proud’

Mr Verster said the first year had been a “tremendous success”.

“The new line has brought the Borders closer to the economic and social opportunities of Edinburgh and given visitors to the capital a new way of reaching one of Scotland’s most beautiful and historic regions,” he said.

“We are very proud of the popularity of the new line, are striving to continually improve the service we offer on it, and look forward to welcoming even more passengers aboard Borders’ services in the years ahead.”

Plans are in place for more seats to be introduced on peak services next year, along with plans to introduce longer trains on more services from 2018.

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