COUNCILLORS have issued a “wish list” of improvements they want to see implemented on the £353m Borders Railway.

With Easter heralding the first summer season for the new line, Scottish Borders Council’s executive has identified a range of issues it wants addressed by Network Rail, the state-owned owners of Scotland’s railway infrastructure.

The committee was responding last week to a consultation on Network Rail’s Scotland Route Study which will inform and influence investment plans for the Scottish rail network between 2019 and 2029 and beyond.

That document acknowledges that passenger demand on the Borders Railway is forecast to exceed available capacity by 2023 – an issue partly addressed by Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown’s recent announcement that available seats on the line will rise by 20 per cent by 2018.

However, in its response to Network Rail, the council expresses disquiet over the reliability of the service which opened last September.

“Service resilience has been a key concern during the first few months of operation and SBC would like Network Rail to consider the provision of further dynamic passing loops on the line to help provide enhanced reliability and functionality between Edinburgh Waverley and Tweedbank,” states the submission.

“The further development of the Borders Railway is potentially constrained by the current level of car parking at Tweedbank and, to a lesser extent, at Stow.

“At Tweedbank, the [station] car park appears to be full on a regular basis and overflow car parking has been provided by SBC on an adjacent industrial estate.

“A longer term solution in relation to parking – and a continued review of station facilities for customers at all the stations on the line – will be required to encourage further patronage for the route.

“The existing wifi provision on the line is currently intermittent and does not fully encourage mobile working. SBC would encourage Network Rail, Transport Scotland and Scotrail to work together to resolve this important issue.

“The tourist market is very important to the Borders and every opportunity should be exploited, such as the continued delivery of the steam train experience, enhanced on-carriage bicycle provision and co-operation on specific event provision.

“SBC would encourage Network Rail, Transport Scotland and Scotrail to work together with the council to help provide opportunities for further tourist related activity on the Borders Railway.”

The submission also asserts the council’s desire for the Borders Railway to be extended 17 miles south to Hawick and hence to Carlisle “providing further economic opportunities and social benefits for the south of Scotland”.

And the council re-states is joint aspiration with East Lothian Council for new stations to be created at Reston and East Linton on the East Coast Main Line.