Press release -
Special steam services on the Borders Railway
Tickets are now on sale for the much-anticipated steam train journeys on the new Borders Railway line. They will begin on 10 September.
Following the success of the Inverness and Carlisle steam train specials in June, ScotRail is offering passengers the chance to travel on the brand new line from Edinburgh Waverley to Tweedbank and back, all in the comfort of a beautifully refurbished vintage carriage.
The services will be hauled by the popular 60009 Union of South Africa, one of six remaining LNER Class A4 steam locomotives in the UK, built in Doncaster in 1937.
ScotRail’s steam train journeys are offered in partnership with Steam Dreams, and will be available every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 10 September for six weeks.
Tickets will be priced at £75 for first class tickets, £40 for standard class, and £20 for a standard class child’s ticket (under 16). A family ticket (two adults and two children, standard class) is priced at £100. All tickets include train travel on ScotRail services to get to and from the steam train on the same day.
Tickets for the steam journeys – and to book a visit to Abbotsford House and Melrose Abbey - can be purchased by calling Steam Dreams on 01483 209888.
Jacqueline Taggart, Customer Experience Director at ScotRail, said:
“These steam journeys will give people a chance to appreciate the new Borders Railway from the wonderful setting of a vintage steam train. This is a fabulous opportunity to showcase the country’s newest railway line, and in such a romantic style.”
Transport Minister, Derek Mackay, said:
“It’s fantastic to see these iconic trains back in operation, allowing so many people the opportunity to appreciate Scotland’s countryside and railways from a unique and very special point of view, and to see them running on the long-awaited Borders Railway will be a real jewel in the crown both for Scotland’s tourism and rail industries.
“There can be few railway journeys which match the outstanding scenery on this new route, and I look forward to it being extremely successful. Steam services running on the reopened Borders Railway really will recapture the golden age of Scottish rail travel.”
Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland, said:
“The opening of the Borders Railway is a fantastic opportunity for Scottish tourism and the introduction of steam trains is excellent news. It is a chance for passengers to step back in time and enjoy the beautiful countryside on another level as these majestic locomotives make their way through Midlothian.
“The magical Scottish Borders is one of Scottish tourism’s greatest assets and I’m convinced the addition of steam trains will make our new railway one of Scotland’s most sought-after attractions. I for one cannot wait to enjoy this amazing experience.”
For more information on ScotRail’s steam services, please visit:
www.scotrail.co.uk/steam-trains
Media enquiries: Louise Walsh/Clare Todd, ScotRail Communications 0141 335 4506 / 5152
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- steam train
- scottish borders
- borders railway
- consumer pr
- corporate communications
Regions
- Scotland
Notes to Editors
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- Follow us on twitter: @visitscotnews
- VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
- The organisation’s core objective is to contribute to the Tourism 2020 Strategy ambition of growing tourism revenues by £1 billion by 2020.
- This will be supported by seven overarching strategies:
- Marketing: we will market Scotland and its outstanding assets to visitors from all parts of the world, including the promotion of Scotland to people living in Scotland to visit different parts of the country
- Events: we will support the national events strategy and its delivery, and sustain, develop and promote Scotland’s international profile as one of the world’s foremost events destinations
- Internationalisation and International Engagement: we will utilise all our platforms to enable Scottish-based tourism businesses to better understand international opportunities and market to a global audience and we will work within One Scotland Partnerships to optimise the potential of Scotland’s Diaspora and our strategic partners at regional, European and global levels
- Customer Experience: we will provide information and inspiration to visitors both locally and globally via their preferred medium of choice
- Quality and Sustainability: we will provide support and advice to businesses, with the goal of improving the quality and sustainability of the tourism sector in Scotland. We will provide quality assurance to visitors through our Quality Schemes
- Inclusive Tourism: we will strive to make tourism in Scotland inclusive and available to all
- Working in Partnership: we will listen to and work with the industry, partners and communities to shape our offering and support
- VisitScotland works together with tourism businesses to make tourism a success for everyone and ensure the industry continues to grow.
- The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
- According to a recent Deloitte study, the tourism economy supports 270,000 jobs in Scotland in 20,000 diverse businesses. The same study calculates that the tourism economy contributes £11 billion annually (direct and indirect impact, including day visits) and supports around 10 per cent of employment in Scotland. Almost 16 million tourists take overnight trips to Scotland.
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- Where possible, a Gaelic speaker will be made available for broadcast interviews on request (Far an tèid iarraidh, agus far am bheil sin nar comas, bruidhinnidh neach le Gàidhlig aig agallamh)
- For holiday information on Scotland go to www.visitscotland.com
- For information about business events in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com
Year of Food and Drink 2015- 2015 is the Year of Food and Drink, a celebration of Scotland’s natural larder and the role that food and drink plays in shaping our economic success.
- Scotland generates over £2.5m per day through food and drink tourism.
- A series of themed months will create an appetite for key areas of Scotland’s food and drink industries – from seafood and whisky to berries and high-quality meat
- For more information, visit www.visitscotland.com/tastescotland
