An Edinburgh train became the first to stop at a new station this week.
The Azuma train left from Edinburgh Waverley and stopped off at the new Reston station in Berwickshire, before heading home to the capital city.
The special service was a one time only operation and was organised by the rail operator LNER, to allow for a series of safety checks ahead of the new station opening.
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The project, including a new footbridge, started last year and is believed to have cost £20 million.
Scotrail have been labelled as ‘shameful’ by the Scottish Borders Council leader Mark Rowley for not serving the station, but the rail operator TransPennine Express has agreed to stop at the station five times per day, with its Edinburgh to Newcastle service.
The service will operate until at least May 2023 and is the result of discussions between TransPennine Express, Transport Scotland, and the Rail North Partnership.
Work had started on the project in the early part of last year and September saw the addition of the new footbridge, with the reaming work being finished recently.
Network Rail worked with local partners and stakeholders to develop plans for the new Reston station in the Scottish Borders.
LNER say work will continue to get the station ready for its opening later in the year.
John Doughty, Engineering Director at LNER, said: “A lot of work from a number of teams across LNER goes into station platform and train interface safety validation. A time, agreed with Network Rail Scotland, and a train must be secured for the exercise, and a specialist team qualified to carry out the compliance checks.
“These exercises, though short, are incredibly important, as they relate to the safety and accessibility of our customers and colleagues as well as ensuring a smooth introduction to services at new stations. We will continue to work behind the scenes in preparation to serve Reston later this year.”
