To Carlisle! Why there's never been a better time to finish the Borders Railway

And, best of all, it was delivered ahead of time and under budget, with the entire line created in under three years. The reopened railway has had a hugely positive impact on communities and the economy, with more than 13 million people having used the line and the total value of Scottish Borders tourism increasing by 50 per cent in this period.

More than this though, it has also sent a message that the south of Scotland is ambitious, energetic and open for business. It’s right that we take a moment to recognise these successes but this anniversary should not just be a celebration of the past – it must also be a catalyst for the future.

READ MORE: Plans submitted for Scotland's first Center Parcs holiday village with 700 lodges and water park

Unprecedented ambition

We are calling on all seven Holyrood parties to show bold, cross-party leadership by committing in their May 2026 election manifestos to extending the Borders Railway at least to Hawick and, ultimately, for the completion of the full cross-border rail route to Carlisle.

The case for completion has never been stronger, with the proposed £400 million Center Parcs development near Hawick likely to create 1,200 permanent jobs and attract over 350,000 visitors annually, doubling the number of people coming for an overnight stay in the Borders. We need sustainable infrastructure to support this growth in our visitor economy.

What’s more, the south of Scotland’s new Responsible Tourism Strategy – which has united all public agencies as well as hundreds of businesses – has unprecedented ambition. It will increase the annual visitor economy by £1 billion and support 20,000 jobs.

Recent annual data shows that this ambition is not misplaced: the south of Scotland visitor economy grew by 33 per cent in the last two years, an increase of over £250m, with a 14 per cent increase in jobs.

Danger of drift

For this positive economic growth to be sustained, it is crucial we invest in our sustainable transport infrastructure now. The Scottish and UK Governments have together put in £10m to fund a feasibility study to explore the benefits of extending the line.

This is a great first step, but there is a danger that – without real drive, transparency and national political leadership – this might drift for years to come.

The study will tell us how to complete the railway, but what we need in the meantime is bold political leaders to step-up to the plate and advocate for why we must do this now, just as the previous generation of leaders did with the first phase of the railway.

Let’s not spend years writing reports to tell us what we already know. With a Holyrood election looming, we’re looking to each of the political parties to seize this incredible opportunity and formally commit to finishing what we started and creating the third cross-border railway.

David Hope-Jones OBE is chief executive of the South of Scotland Destination Alliance