A HERIOT pensioner has hit out at rail bosses for cutting her off from the world.

A new pedestrian underpass was created last year to allow residents to reach the bus stop on the A7 after the railway returned to the village.

But Jennifer Ellender has twice been forced to turn back due to flooding.

And the 75-year-old also slipped on silt left by the gathering rainwater.

Ms Ellender told the Border Telegraph: “If I can’t use the underpass I can’t get to the bus stop, and if I can’t get to the bus stop I can’t get to the doctor’s, dentist’s, shops or anywhere else. When it rains heavily the railway cuts me off from the world.

“Even when there isn’t water lying in the underpass there is mud. I returned home with two bags of shopping and a heavy rucksack just after Christmas and slipped in the mud.” Network Rail has the underpass checked twice a day for lying water.

And a pump has been installed to help clear any flooding.

Ms Ellender, who believes five or six other pensioners in Heriot also need regular access to the bus stop, added: “Both times that there has been a lot of water in the underpass - we’re talking a couple of feet in depth - a man has been there with a pump but it doesn’t seem to make much difference to the water level.

“I’ve contacted my MP and I’ve written to Network Rail and still nothing has been done. We need something better than this.” As well as pensioners in the village several teenagers also rely on the underpass to catch their school bus each day.

Local councillor Sandy Aitchison is sympathetic towards the contractors BAM Nuttall but hopes the problems can be resolved quickly.

He told us: “BAM are doing their best - there have been people there every day either putting down salt or pumping out water - but we need to have the underpass finished sometime soon.

“As well as rainwater coming down the disabled access there is a hole waiting on service cables which allows the water table to come through when it rises to a certain height.

“I am assured it will be okay when the work is completed but we need it completed soon.” Rail engineers are waiting on a BT cable being moved before further work starts at the underpass.

They are also ready to install an anti-slip surface to prevent falls.

Craig Bowman from Network Rail told us: “We are aware of the problems at the underpass.

“There have been two incidents of flooding and they were both after really heavy rain.

“We will be carrying out further work to mitigate flooding when the service cable has been moved.

“Once we get a few dry days which are free from frost we will also fit an anti-slip surface.

“The underpass is an artery for people living in Heriot and we realise how important it is that they are able to reach the bus stop.”