The brand-new railway station at Reston welcomed its first passengers today, 23 May, as it was officially opened to the public.
Members of the public eagerly awaited the arrival of the first service in to Reston station at 6.16am, marking the end of a 58 year wait for the return of local rail travel to the area following the closure of the old Reston Station in 1964.
Reston Primary pupils enjoy the train
School children from nearby Reston Primary School were some of the lucky first few to experience the journey with a carriage carrying pupils on a return journey to Edinburgh Waverley.
The opening of the new station follows significant investment of approximately £3 million from the Council into the project to help improve transport connectivity across rural areas of Berwickshire and support the development of Reston and the surrounding area.
Construction of the two-platform station commenced in early 2021, following the overwhelming success of the Borders Railway project in helping to connect the central Borders to Edinburgh following the opening of the route back in 2015.
Station to deliver significant economic and social benefits
It is predicted that the station will deliver significant economic and social benefits to the wider area and help to increase transport accessibility for communities throughout Berwickshire. It is hoped that the new station will help encourage more tourism related activity and help to revitalise Reston village and other local communities by presenting development and inward investment opportunities for the surrounding area.
The new fully accessible station at Reston represents a £20 million investment by the Scottish Government to improve access to rail services in the Scottish Borders.
The facility will allow connectivity options to local public transport services, active travel provision and 70 park and ride car parking spaces, including a number of electric vehicle charging stations.
The station will initially be served by cross border operators including TransPennine Express and LNER services.
Transport Minister, Jenny Gilruth MSP, was in attendance to help mark the occasion along with a number of local elected members in attendance.
Euan Jardine, Leader of Scottish Borders Council
“Today is such a momentous day for communities across Berwickshire and the Borders as a whole.
“As a Council we have worked tirelessly to make the return of rail travel to Reston a possibility, and although I was unable to attend in person today, I have heard extremely positive feedback from all involved and am delighted to see the Council’s hard work bear fruit.
“There can be no doubting that the addition of Reston station will deliver huge economic and social benefits to the people of Berwickshire – helping improve transport connections between the region and the rest of the country whilst also developing the surrounding area and making Berwickshire a more attractive place to stay and visit.”
More information
Images from the opening are available on our Flickr page.