Scotland's Economy

This new Borders Railway line is the result of £300m of investment and the expert work of more than 1,000 peopleFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon and 150 other guests joined Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh on an iconic steam train journey from Edinburgh to mark the official route opening, before a special plaque was unveiled in front of thousands of spectators at Tweedbank station.

During the journey, the steam locomotive – Union of South Africa – made a stop at Newtongrange for a Royal plaque unveiling, before conducting a slow pass through Galashiels to allow the thousands gathered in the town to celebrate the line’s opening.

The Borders Rail project, which was constructed on time and on budget, is the longest new domestic railway to be constructed in Britain for more than 100 years, and connects communities and businesses in the Borders and Midlothian to the rail network for the first time in more than 40 years.

See some of the photos from the re-opening below…

The Queen’s train arrives in Tweedbank