Under the heading ‘Rail success borders on the brilliant’ the Scotsman editorial cites the number of passengers 20% above the forecast as ’more proof of Scotland’s rail renaissance’, notes that there were similar under-estimates for Larkhall, Alloa and Drumgelloch-Bathgate, though the Borders was much longer and in an area which had been without rail travel for nearly 50 years. It suggests that the Borders could be ‘a watershed’ in the development of passenger forecasts, with a change of formula and a new way of considering the economic impact of a new line, describing the Borders as ‘an acid test of restoring railways to rural areas of Scotland. ‘

The piece continues, ‘Campaigners for linking places such as Levenmouth, St Andrews and Fraserburgh to the rail network will be delighted by the Borders success.’

I’m sure we all are.