Polarbear
Established Member
I'm currently on the 10:59 from Tweedbank. 158740 doing the honours solo & it's cosy to put it mildly! Could really do with a ticket office at Tweedbank.
I have no so far had reason to use the new train service
question-----is it possible to buy tickets from machines at gala or tweedbank using cash ?
True, but I put much more stock in a position reached by logic than one driven by sentiment.Because you cannot find flaws in someone's argument or they are more eloquent than you does not mean that they are right.
Maybe within Mid lothian but not the borders, its still 55mins away, Heck the bus is only 15mins slower.
Mr Hume is not and never has been the most vocal or active MP/MSP in the Borders so why he has chosen to vent his anger at the railway I have no idea
what does he and others who are complaining want-----four cars on every service---that aint going to happen
the novelty factor is going to fade in the coming weeks--that's when we will see more true passenger numbers----I know people who will be using the railway but they have deliberately avoided it because of the high numbers--those people will be the true test of passenger numbers
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-34592691 said:Rail workers have been forced to clear up raw sewage dropped on the tracks of the Borders Railway.
It had been discarded from carriages pulled by the Union of South Africa steam train over the last month.
Michael Hogg, of the RMT rail union, said workers who change sleepers and maintain rails on the line between Edinburgh and Tweedbank had dealt with human waste.
"It's disgusting and it's just not acceptable," he added.
The steam train transported the Queen to the Scottish Borders for the official opening of the £300m line in September.
Since then it has carried 6,500 railway enthusiasts and day-trippers on three return excursions a week.
Its run on the Borders Railway officially ended on Sunday but the popularity of the excursion means further charter trips could be arranged.
Diesel trains on the line's regular services retain human waste, but the use of older carriages to carry passengers on steam train trips skirts the rules for modern trains.
Mr Hogg said: "It's diabolical that in this day and age people have to put up with these kind of working conditions.
"It's bad enough having human waste on the tracks, but you're having workers stand back for a passing train and be sprayed with raw sewage.
"We're talking about people possibly being exposed to harmful bacteria that could cause illness and disease, such as hepatitis C."
He added: "We appreciate that these steam rail trips are very, very popular and are likely to continue, but we can't accept the use of old rolling stock which fails to prevent waste ending up on the tracks."
ScotRail confirmed that steam train toilets were not fitted with tanks to collect human waste.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) gave the rail firm permission to allow customers to use toilets between stations on the Borders Railway steam trips.
Onboard toilets remained locked when the train was stabled in or near a station.
A spokeswoman for the ScotRail Alliance said: "The line has been closely monitored and, now that the last steam train has run on the line, our specialist team will carry out a full track clean."
Maybe time for a couple dedicated retention fitted MK2 rakes to be based at Millerhill?
Pretty sure they were all fitted over the last few years. In this thread it was stated that only the 156s that aren't so equipped..Are 158's now fitted with tanks then? I know there are plans to fit to all stock (eventually) but pretty sure its not just the specials spraying at the moment. Assume that 170's were fitted from new.
It's the same on the highway when workeres have to work on the verges strimming grass etc, to be met by a bottle of ****** or a bag of $hite that a disgusting filthy lorry driver has thrown out of their vehicle.
regards,
Darryl
very very unfair comment about lorry drivers
As others have said, the copious use of galvanised fencing is unaesthetic - I wonder how much the difference would have been, in terms of time and cost, to use wooden post and wire where possible.
I'm sure there is nothing stopping a private individual from opening one, but I doubt there will be anything provided by the railway. Tweedbank is a local station for local people. Galashiels is for visitors.Is there any plans for a tea/coffee snack shop at Tweedbank?
And Mk2's were diesel hauled, not steam hauled.
regards,
Darryl
Is there any plans for a tea/coffee snack shop at Tweedbank?
I'm sure there is nothing stopping a private individual from opening one, but I doubt there will be anything provided by the railway. Tweedbank is a local station for local people. Galashiels is for visitors.
Langholm to be included in Tweedbank-Carlisle feasibility study:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-34899285
Population of 10,000+ within 60 minutes (75 at a push) journey time of a major employment centre.