BUSES linking the central Borders with the capital are being cut by half from next month.

The service linking Galashiels and Edinburgh, which currently runs every half-hour, will be reduced to an hourly service from August 15.

But the connecting buses between Hawick and Galashiels will continue to operate half-hourly.

The proposal, which was announced by operator First Scotland East in May as part of a wide ranging review of its non-subsidised services in the region, has been approved this week by senior passenger transport officials with Scottish Borders Council.

“It was felt this proposal to effectively split the current X95 service is acceptable, given the alternative link to the capital now provided by the Borders Railway,” said a council spokesman yesterday.

He said agreement had also been reached with First to maintain its hourly service between Hawick and Carlisle.

“It means First will continue to run two buses an hour between Hawick and Galashiels,” said the spokesperson.

Meanwhile, the council is said to be “confident” that most of the other Borders services, which First announced it was scrapping, will be retained if not by that company, then by other operators.

These include all the town services in Hawick and Peebles and a number of services out of Galashiels including those to Bannerfield in Selkirk and to Oxton via Earlston.

The council confirmed yesterday that Peeblesshire-firm BARC had agreed to run the Peebles town service on the current timetable and that a formal announcement regarding the other services would be made later this week.

“We are in discussions with a number of operators with a view to ensuring that the services included in the First review are maintained at current levels after August 15 when the new services must be re-registered with the Traffic Commissioner. We are close to securing these arrangements and are confident of a successful outcome.”