Delays are already building up though, and these have meant that growth has been restricted on the Midlothian stations. Gorebridge and Eskbank have not picked up enough commuter traffic as they possibly should have.
It's also relatively easy to shift the single track over to one side later, unless someone has put something in the way. What is harder to accept is something like the new overbridges on the existing Borders route which were constructed with a span only large enough for single line. Making them good for double would have cost very little extra, and far less than the replacements that will be needed if doubling happens now.
Which explains why Newtongrange, right next to the Scottish National Mining Museum, has done a bit better than the others.
Eskbank is still the busiest Midlothian station.
I think the current location attracts more passengers than the old one would habe. It’s primarily a park and ride for the surrounding area.
A relative studying at the adjacent college thinks that it generates a fair bit of rail traffic.
Does anyone know why that is? As in why is Eskbank the first station that this becomes available? Why not all stations on the line?
Scotrail did seem to have expensive prices for singles.
https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/41659/sct02189915561.pdf
Agreed but a 9.5% growth last year must surely assist the case for any extensions of the line.
Not necessarily. If the existing parts of the route generate too much growth, there won't be any room to fit additional passengers onto the existing trains from a new extension. Indeed, more carriages are already needed to handle the demand, but these will add to the operating costs and reduce the BCR.
This would be a fairly bizarre out come given that the line was built to be able to operate 6 car trains and mostly 2 and 3 car trains run at present. Though I suppose trying to fill 4-6 car train for the whole length of the route to Carlisle would be more difficult than 2-3 car units from Tweedbank or Hawick to Edinburgh.