RAIL campaigners have criticised the Scottish Government over "broken promises" after the draft timetable for the new Borders-Edinburgh line revealed that almost eight in every ten services would take longer than 55 minutes.
The details, published earlier this week, angered campaigners who had been promised that 55 minutes would be the maximum journey time from Edinburgh to the Borders Railway terminus at Tweedbank.
Simon Walton, chair of campaign for Borders Rail, said: "[Transport Scotland] is reneging on that promise, reducing the train's ability to compete with the car from the Central Borders to Edinburgh. On Mondays to Fridays, no fewer than 26 out of 33 trains from Edinburgh to Tweedbank will take longer than the promised 55 minutes. On Saturdays, a paltry two out of 33 trains to Tweedbank will achieve the maximum 55 minutes laid down by Transport Scotland in 2009."
The fastest journey time will be 54 minutes.
A spokesman for Transport Scotland said: "Over 98% of the journeys will take passengers from one end to the other in under an hour."
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