Concerns raised over cancellations on Borders Railway after 'disabled passengers left stranded'
Last updated 21st Apr 2025
Concerns are being raised over the number of trains being cancelled on the Borders Railway.
A shortage of crew and issues with the signals were blamed for the loss of some services on the line between Edinburgh and Tweedbank over the Easter weekend - with the disruption continuing today (Monday).
It comes just weeks after it was claimed a number of disabled people were left stranded at Shawfair, due to a broken down train at Eskbank.
It's understood a rescue train was identified but the operation was delayed due to a points failure with the signalling system.
Posting online following the incident on March 30th, Borders councillor David Parker - who walks with the support of an assistance dog - said: "Hundreds of passengers were left at Shawfair and they have only sent one bus so far which means hundreds are still stranded.
"Multiple disabled people on train and ScotRail staff have just abandoned them and are sitting on the train leaving everyone to look after themselves."
A former Borders council leader, Councillor Parker - who represents Leaderdale and Melrose on the local authority - campaigned for the restoration of the line, and has been a champion of it since it reopened.
But he added: "The service in recent months has been awful."
According to the ScotRail website, this morning's 9.51am service from Tweedbank to Edinburgh is being cancelled due to the "train being late from the depot".
The 3.20pm service from the Borders to the Scottish capital has also been cancelled due to a shortage of train crew.
Passengers are being advised to check ahead before they travel.
Phil Campbell, ScotRail Customer Operations Director, said: “We’re sorry to those customers who were impacted by the incidents that took place on March 30th. We know how frustrating it is when delays or cancellations occur, and when that does happen, it is only right that compensation is paid to customers who experience disruption to their journey.
“Through our Delay Repay Guarantee, anyone delayed by 30 minutes or more is entitled to claim money back through the ScotRail website or mobile app.
“We are absolutely committed to delivering the best possible service for customers throughout the country, and everyone at ScotRail is working hard to deliver the safe and reliable railway that our customers expect and deserve, and to encourage more people to travel by train instead of using the car."
It's understood up to 60 passengers were left behind following the incident on March 30th, after a replacement bus from Edinburgh departed Shawfair full.
A spokesperson for the train operator explained: "Passengers were notified via the Help Point system that a second bus had been requested, but we were awaiting an update on its availability. We work with an external provider on bus replacement and we were informed that no local suppliers could provide a bus within 60-minutes.
"The next scheduled train from Shawfair, due at 6.30pm, was unfortunately cancelled due to the ongoing blockage from the broken down train and the delays caused by the points failure.
"At 6.45pm, we received information from Network Rail that the repair would take longer than expected to resolve, so we began arranging taxis for passengers, prioritising those with additional needs. One taxi was successfully arranged.
"But shortly after this we received confirmation that the tracks had been cleared and ScotRail’s control team made arrangements for the next service between Edinburgh and Tweedbank to call at Shawfair. This was the quickest way for us to ensure that passengers could get home because, given the timing and the large number of passengers still awaiting transport, we would not have been able to arrange taxis for all 48 passengers before the 7.27pm train's scheduled departure from Shawfair."
Earlier this year, it was revealed trains on the Borders Railway are the most overcrowded on the ScotRail network - with passengers packed on to some services "like sardines".
Last week, it was announced a project management firm which supported projects like Trams to Newhaven in Edinburgh has been appointed to help build the case for extending the line south, from Tweedbank to Hawick, Newcastleton and on to Carlisle, after funding of up to £10 million was finally released by the UK and Scottish governments, as part of the Borderlands Growth Deal.
For more stories from the Scottish Borders and North Northumberland, bookmark our new home page - https://hellorayo.co.uk/greatest-hits/borders/news/
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