The Campaign for Borders Rail is urging better trains and more reliable infrastructure on the new Edinburgh-Tweedbank railway, following train and signal failures in April.

CBR Vice Chairman Robert Drysdale says the Class 158 diesel multiple units that ScotRail operates on the route “have a reputation for breaking down”, and claims that “several” signal failures have brought all services to a standstill.

Network Rail Scotland spokesman Nick King acknowledged that there had been failures of axle counters and faults with fibre optic cables in April, but said the company has not experienced repeat failures of specific pieces of equipment. 

  • For more on this, read RAIL 801, published on May 25.