Parking at Tweedbank station

[chiltern trev]

We are planning a trip on the Borders railway in the coming weeks and are looking at parking at Tweedbank station (then day out in Edinburgh), any day of the week and probably arriving between 10-00 and 14.00.

What is the parking like, i.e. is there space, does it full up, does it vary by day of the week?

I seem to recall that in the early days, the car park was full by mid morning on several days of the week.

And is it just one car park or is there one or more overflow car park areas?

Thanks.

 

[David M]

It is obviously busier during the day than in the evening but you should have absolutely no problem finding a space at any time, any day. It was extended (can't remember when) to get more spaces and there's never an issue now.
Just the one big car park.

 

[chiltern trev]

It is obviously busier during the day than in the evening but you should have absolutely no problem finding a space at any time, any day. It was extended (can't remember when) to get more spaces and there's never an issue now.
Just the one big car park.

Thank you.

Good that the extended car park is adequate.

 

[chiltern trev]

So we had a day trip today from near Carlisle to Edinburgh - car to Tweedbank.

1050 from Tweedbank and 1511 return from Waverley. 3hours from door to Waverley.

Got a space in the car park which looked to be 90% full - we drove through to double row 5 where about 6 spaces appeared. I see the car park entrance has moved from immediately after the platforms to about 50m further along no doubt due to the new office type building that has appeared.

Found the tickets machines, one big and one narrow in the first bus shelter. 2 other peeple buying, one at each so the narrow one became free first. Terrible machine - on screen buttons a bit fuzzy/soft/out of focus, not easily clear from the button colours/shading which on screen buttons were active and further not helped by the viewing angle - if you touched the screen where you thought you were looking down then you missed and hit 1cm higher or the button above. Slow response did not help as it appeared you had missed so when you had a second try the machine did something else as due to the slow response it was now actioning the first response. Ended up buying 2 tickets each as a single transaction for speed as train waiting. I do not recommend this type of machine - in fact if I was the TOC Purchaser this machine wopuld have been a fail and a no buy. The new Northern big mirrors (sorry 2001 Space Odessy monolith type ticket machines) are easier and quicker to use - much bigger on screen buttons so no finger aiming issues. Note - I think the bigger machine was malfunctioning in some way as we later saw the user buying a ticket from the train conductor.

Each train was a class 170 2+2 so nice seats etc - this unit is ok except it is 100mph and thus low geared. It would be much better with a 75mph geared set up to give quicker acceleration and better hill climbing. On this route there did not seem to be a need for 100mph due to multiple stops (particularly nearer Edinburgh), track curvature necessitating slower line speed. In terms of 75mph, I was thinking Chiltern class 165 type performance but a 170 body.

It was very slow joing the ECML - 15mph - why? a track geometry/cant issue?

Trains were reasonably well used - about 50% full from Tweedbank and Gala, the balance from Edinburgh local stations.

Would we use it again - unlikely:
* either train Carlisle (drive to in car) to Edinburgh, about 45 minutes quicker
* or car via A74(M) to Abington then A702 and park at Ingliston Tram stop - quicker by at least 30 minutes and easier drive than the A7.

It did make a nice, if longish day out.

 

[David M]

Row 5 is just over half way into the car park and, further along, there are spaces outwith the rows as well - if it reached 80% capacity, you were unlucky.
I don't recall the entrance having moved since the car park opened.
Agree with you re the ticket machines not being the best as they're often not very responsive to a 'button' press.

 

[chiltern trev]

I just checked Google maps - you are correct about car park entrance not moving. However, there were tarmac changes nearer the platform ends that looked like changes, maybe temporary access for something.

Car park did look well used like 80%+ but then did not venture to the far end. The side of the access road was full. It did seem a busy day in Edinburgh.

Anyways, the car park was ok.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Scotrails indiscriminate use of the crapulous 170 on any Central belt area diesel working is a big issue for me and as you say the poor acceleration that would quite possibly be OutRun by a hamster pushing a filing cabinet he's an issue on this route in particular

We really should be doing something about Portobello junction I agree but I understand the funding for this Phil victim like many other things to the covid pandemic

Transport Scotland where I think very short-sighted in not ordering a generous batch of cl172 when they were available and now we are not going to see any further pure DMU orders in Scotland, unless of course this is the next SNP pledge to be quietly or not so quietly dropped as it would surprise me a little to find that the railway decarbonization plans experimenting and tendering exercise that's been underway for a while now has so many 0's on it add to give government ministers about a year of sleepless nights.

Another short sighted decision was not making the travel information desk at the bus station in Galashiels a rail accredited agent with a handheld machine to sell a basic range of tickets when open and staffed, when that line is busy the conductor does often not get through to sell tickets and there are plenty of people who can't or will not use a machine regardless of its working order