Ewan Tait - dres.org.uk

Classified as INTERNAL

Ewan TaitBusiness Development Executive

Success of the Borders Railway


Success of the Borders Railway• What am I going to talk about?

• Some history

• Infrastructure

• Communications

• More than a railway

• The success of the railway

• General update on all the other exciting changes in Scotland


Timeline 1896 to 1969

1896 1969



19681969

1999



DBFM



6 November 2012 – Transfer to NR and appointment of BAM

18 April 2013 – Sod cutting / start of earth

works

Spring-summer 2013 – full mobilisation

Winter 2013-14 – structures

Spring –summer 2014 – secondary structures

and rail systems

September 2015: Railway opening

January 2012 – Advance works begin


• Half-hourly passenger service taking 55

minutes from Tweedbank to Edinburgh

• 30 miles (49km) of new track

• Over 150 structures, including 42 new and

95 refurbished bridges

• Seven new stations

• Single track with 3 dynamic crossing loops

• New viaducts take the line across modern

roads at Hardengreen roundabout and Gore

Glen between which it reuses the Newbattle

viaduct

• Tunnels with slab-track at Bowshank and

Torwoodlee

• c.95,000 concrete sleepers and 145,000m3

of top and bottom ballast

What did we build?


Kings Gate Jn


Major Structures


Gala Water


Before and after…


Communications• Network Rail led communications plan developed in collaboration with Transport Scotland

and BAM

• ‘Borders Railway’ brand established to front communications

• Comms channels outlined in the Waverley Railway Act’s ‘Code of Construction

Practice’…


Communications• Coordinated launch in Nov 2012

• Project website

• Helpline and email• 6,000 e-bulletin subscribers

• Letters• 100,000 letters delivered to neighbours

• Advertising

• Press activity• 133 press releases

• 1,485 UK cuttings between November

2012 and July 2015, 89% positive or

neutral

• Over 3,100 international mentions

following official opening


Communications• Social media

• 7,000 followers on Twitter

• Top trending UK topic on 4th and 5th

September 2015

• Over 7,500 mentions

• Community engagement• 150 events, 30 drop-ins with 2,500

attendees

• 50 community council meetings


Communications• An understanding of communications at a

senior level

• Communications provided with a budget

and left to manage it

• A genuinely collaborative approach

between NR, BAM and TS

• On site comms presence


Communications• An understanding of comms at a senior

level

• Comms provided with a budget and left to

manage it

• A genuinely collaborative approach

between NR, BAM and TS

• On site comms presence

• A model for other schemes


Lessons learnt• Early contractor involvement

• Single principle contractor

• Contractor design and build

• Non contractual collaborative agreements between

partners

• Shared offices

• One brand – Borders Railway

• Shared communications functions

• Early stakeholder and public engagement


And the end result• Two trains per hour during the day, hourly in the evening

• Hourly service at Stow, two trains per hour in the peaks

• Cross-Edinburgh direct services in the peaks

• More capacity added every year to meet demand


More than a railway“The once-in-a-generation investment we

made in the Borders Railway is much

more than just a mode of transport. It has

opened up exciting possibilities for living,

learning and working for existing and new

residents.”

Nicola Sturgeon MSP


More than a railway• The promoting of accessibility to and from the Scottish Borders and Midlothian to

Edinburgh (including the airport) and the central belt.

• Foster social inclusion by improving access to key services for those without access to a

car.

• To prevent the decline in the Borders population by securing ready access to Edinburgh’s

labour market.

• To create modal shift from the car to public transport.


More than a railway


More than a railway


More than a railway


More than a railway

Without

Borders

Rail

With

Borders

Rail

Change%

Change

Jobs 0 - 30mins 6,543 12,144 5,601 86%

Jobs 30 - 60mins 7,870 24,927 17,058 217%

Jobs 60 - 90mins 46,733 78,646 31,913 68%

Total Jobs 0 - 90 Mins 61,146 115,718 54,572 89%

Galashiels

Without

Borders

Rail

With

Borders

Rail

Change%

Change

Jobs 0 - 30mins 1,618 11,260 9,641 596%

Jobs 30 - 60mins 15,234 67,720 52,486 345%

Jobs 60 - 90mins 128,578 266,820 138,241 108%

Total Jobs 0 - 90 Mins 145,431 345,800 200,369 138%

Gorebridge

Without

Borders

Rail

With

Borders

Rail

Change%

Change

Jobs 0 - 30mins 5,722 19,569 13,846 242%

Jobs 30 - 60mins 22,362 152,203 129,841 581%

Jobs 60 - 90mins 173,358 254,876 81,518 47%

Total Jobs 0 - 90 Mins 201,442 426,648 225,206 112%

Eskbank


Borders Railway Blueprint Partnership• Partners

• Scottish Borders, Midlothian, and City of Edinburgh

Councils

• The Scottish Government

• Transport Scotland

• Scottish Enterprise

• VisitScotland

• ScotRail Alliance

• £10 million pledged from the Scottish

Government

• Match funded by partners and private sector

• Outcomes• 16% rise in visitor spend in the Borders, 6.8% in Midlothian

• 8% increase in tourism employment in the Borders, 4.1% in

Midlothian

• New investments in restaurants, breweries, local

businesses

• 200 new jobs and £100 million economic impact from global

IT firm CGI


Great communities for living and learning• Inward investment Prospectus – www.BordersRailwayProspectus.com

• Integrated transport at station hubs

• Walking and cycling infrastructure

• Housing / development land via new Masterplans

• Investment in modern apprenticeships and skills


Great destinations to visit• Marketing Programme - visitscotland.com/bordersrailway

• Tourism Destination Audit/ Market Assessment

• Tourism Business Development

• Steam Train Experience Pilot

• Visitor Experience Pilot

• Great Tapestry Visitor Centre


Success of the Borders Railway• Over 300,000 journeys in the first 10 weeks of service

• 40,000 car journeys saved annually

• More capacity added every year since the railway opened

• 10.6% Increase in visitors to Abbotsford House near Melrose

• 65% Visitors using the railway saying it was a factor in their

decision to make their trip

• 8% Tourism employment increase in the Borders

• 8 National awards recognising communication excellence


TS FBC Actual Yr 1 Difference % increase

Tweedback 43,242 337,864 294,622 681%

Galashiels 46,862 201,666 154,804 330%

Stow 11,686 48,282 36,596 313%

Gorebridge 180,038 74,891 -105,147 -58%

Newtongrange 105,836 96,735 -9,101 -9%

Eskbank 261,050 133,121 -127,929 -49%

Shawfair 123,720 16,853 -106,867 -86%

Brunstane/Newcraighall 1,972 21,664 19,692 999%

Edinburgh Waverley 441,066 375,673 -144,193 -28%

Total 1,215,472 1,306,750 12,478 1%

Success of the Borders Railway• Forecast demand for the first year of

operation

• Average of two demand forecasts• Trip generation approach

• Stated preference survey

• Majority of demand forecast from

Edinburgh and Midlothian

• Fewer passengers expected in the

Borders


TS FBC Actual Yr 1 Difference % increase

Tweedback 43,242 337,864 294,622 681%

Galashiels 46,862 201,666 154,804 330%

Stow 11,686 48,282 36,596 313%

Gorebridge 180,038 74,891 -105,147 -58%

Newtongrange 105,836 96,735 -9,101 -9%

Eskbank 261,050 133,121 -127,929 -49%

Shawfair 123,720 16,853 -106,867 -86%

Brunstane/Newcraighall 1,972 21,664 19,692 999%

Edinburgh Waverley 441,066 375,673 -144,193 -28%

Total 1,215,472 1,306,750 12,478 1%






0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Sin

gle

Passen

ge

r Jou

rne

ys

Year

Passenger Journeys on the Borders Railway

BRUNSTANE ESKBANK GALASHIELS

GOREBRIDGE NEWCRAIGHALL NEWTONGRANGE

SHAWFAIR STOW TWEEDBANK


Success of the Borders RailwayEDINBURGH 182,234 63.6% EDINBURGH 15,582 37.9% EDINBURGH 118,170 32.2% EDINBURGH 86,387 56.0%

HAYMARKET EDINBURGH 33,920 11.8% FALKIRK BR 5,254 12.8% GLASGOW BR 103,898 28.3% HAYMARKET EDINBURGH 20,105 13.0%

GALASHIELS 12,544 4.4% POLMONT 3,029 7.4% HAYMARKET EDINBURGH 20,360 5.6% GALASHIELS 11,909 7.7%

NEWTONGRANGE 9,266 3.2% TWEEDBANK 2,675 6.5% GALASHIELS 14,806 4.0% NEWCRAIGHALL 9,266 6.0%

TWEEDBANK 7,058 2.5% GALASHIELS 2,648 6.4% KIRKCALDY 12,719 3.5% GLASGOW BR 5,444 3.5%

GOREBRIDGE 6,136 2.1% HAYMARKET EDINBURGH 2,588 6.3% TWEEDBANK 8,948 2.4% BRUNSTANE 4,593 3.0%

GLASGOW BR 5,569 1.9% LARBERT 2,057 5.0% MARKINCH 7,671 2.1% TWEEDBANK 3,367 2.2%

SOUTH GYLE 5,248 1.8% DUNBAR 1,743 4.2% LINLITHGOW 6,878 1.9% EDINBURGH PARK 1,031 0.7%

ESKBANK 4,947 1.7% STIRLING 770 1.9% CROY 6,872 1.9% EDINBURGH GATEWAY 884 0.6%

EDINBURGH GATEWAY 2,487 0.9% DUNBLANE 657 1.6% BRUNSTANE 5,513 1.5% SOUTH GYLE 810 0.5%

SUB-TOTAL 269,411 94.1% SUB-TOTAL 37,002 89.9% SUB-TOTAL 305,834 83.4% SUB-TOTAL 143,796 93.2%

TOTAL 286,348 TOTAL 41,163 TOTAL 366,648 TOTAL 154,252

TOTAL (FY1819) 278,630 2.8% TOTAL (FY1819) 31,614 30.2% TOTAL (FY1819) 339,006 8.2% TOTAL (FY1819) 157,075 -1.8%

EDINBURGH 71,546 57.8% EDINBURGH 36,690 51.5% EDINBURGH 184,283 51.2% EDINBURGH 286,301 64.5%

HAYMARKET EDINBURGH 14,323 11.6% GALASHIELS 8,245 11.6% SOUTH GYLE 22,299 6.2% SOUTH GYLE 27,705 6.2%

GALASHIELS 11,102 9.0% HAYMARKET EDINBURGH 5,904 8.3% HAYMARKET EDINBURGH 17,987 5.0% HAYMARKET EDINBURGH 24,812 5.6%

NEWCRAIGHALL 6,136 5.0% TWEEDBANK 2,464 3.5% ESKBANK 14,806 4.1% GLASGOW BR 18,588 4.2%

GLASGOW BR 4,078 3.3% GLASGOW BR 2,373 3.3% GLASGOW BR 13,404 3.7% GALASHIELS 12,900 2.9%

BRUNSTANE 2,957 2.4% AIRDRIE 1,907 2.7% TWEEDBANK 12,900 3.6% ESKBANK 8,948 2.0%

TWEEDBANK 2,660 2.1% COATBRIDGE SUNNYSIDE 1,664 2.3% NEWCRAIGHALL 12,544 3.5% NEWCRAIGHALL 7,058 1.6%

ESKBANK 1,451 1.2% SOUTH GYLE 1,254 1.8% NEWTONGRANGE 11,909 3.3% BRUNSTANE 5,777 1.3%

STOW 721 0.6% ESKBANK 1,196 1.7% GOREBRIDGE 11,102 3.1% EDINBURGH PARK 4,120 0.9%

SOUTH GYLE 524 0.4% SHETTLESTON 1,133 1.6% STOW 8,245 2.3% NEWTONGRANGE 3,367 0.8%

SUB-TOTAL 115,497 93.3% SUB-TOTAL 62,830 88.2% SUB-TOTAL 309,478 85.9% SUB-TOTAL 399,575 90.1%

TOTAL 123,772 TOTAL 71,226 TOTAL 360,080 TOTAL 443,693

TOTAL (FY1819) 115,208 7.4% TOTAL (FY1819) 69,881 1.9% TOTAL (FY1819) 356,463 1.0% TOTAL (FY1819) 437,150 1.5%

NEWTONGRANGE

TWEEDBANK

ESKBANK

GALASHIELS

NEWCRAIGHALL

GOREBRIDGE

SHAWFAIR

STOW


What’s next for the Borders Railway?• Net-zero carbon railway by

2035.

• Longer trains?

• More frequent service?

• Extend the service to Hawick?

• Extend the service to Carlisle

or Berwick on Tweed?


The rest of Scotland• More services in South West Scotland

• Journey time improvements through electrification and timetable change in Central

Scotland• Ten minutes faster from Stirling to Edinburgh

• Five minutes faster from Glasgow to Edinburgh

• Five minutes faster from Stirling to Glasgow

• And lots more seats

• Introduction of a tiered service provision along with HSTs• Limited stop InterCity services

• Local service into Dundee

• Local service into Aberdeen

• Hourly between Elgin and Inverness

• Up three trains per hour between Inverurie and Aberdeen

• New station at Robroyston

• New station at Kintore later this year


And there’s more!• Team Scotland working on several large infrastructure schemes

• New stations at Dalcross, East Linton and Reston

• Reopening the Methill Branch to Cameron Bridge and Leven to provide access to Fife and Edinburgh

• Capacity enhancements between Glasgow and East Kilbride

• Far North Line, West Highland Lines and South West Scotland reviews

• Service and performance led investment planned across Scotland

• Decarbonisation of the domestic railway in Scotland by 2035• Rolling programme of electrification

• Diesel-free trains through OHLE, batteries or hydrogen fuel cells?

• Decarbonisation Action Plan to be published by Transport Scotland later this year

• Electric trains in Aberdeen by 2035?


Thank You and Questions

Ewan Tait - dres.org.uk

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