transport.gov.scot Borders Railway Year 2 Evaluation Survey of users and non-users February 2018 Borders Railway Year 2 Evaluation Survey of users and non-users Transport Scotland Table of Contents 1 Introduction 10 2 Background 11 3 Primary Research Approach 15 4 Investment Objectives 22 5 Visitor Survey 55 6 Service Quality and Barriers to Use 67 2 Borders Railway Year 2 Evaluation Survey of users and non-users Transport Scotland Transport Research Summary The Borders Railway re-opened in September 2015. In line with Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) and Transport Scotland’s Guidance on the Evaluation of Rail Projects, Transport Scotland completed a Stage 1 Evaluation of the Railway in November 2016. This research aims to build on the findings of the Stage 1 Evaluation and further develop understanding of the extent to which the Borders Railway is on track to meet its investment objectives. In addition, the study aims to capture the views and experiences of tourists using the railway. While the views of tourists were captured in the Year 1 Study, it was recognised that, due to the time at which the surveys were undertaken, the results are likely to underestimate the true tourism impact. A key aim of this study is therefore to record visitor numbers during the summer peak and, in so doing, provide greater clarity on the overall tourism impact of the new line. As with the Stage 1 Study, the research involved: an on-train survey of users of the Borders Railway; a telephone survey of non- and infrequent users of the Borders Railway based within the Scottish Borders and Midlothian; secondary data analysis including a review of ticket sales and passenger count data and an analysis of public transport connectivity. In addition, a series of consultations were completed with bus operators / local councils in the Borders and Midlothian to help develop a understanding of the impacts of the Borders Railway on bus services. The purpose of this report is to set out the overall findings from the study. The document includes a detailed discussion of the research approach as well as a summary of the key findings from both the primary and secondary research. Main Findings In Year 2, overall travel on the line has increased by 9.5%. As in Year 1, the majority of patronage on the line is towards Edinburgh with Tweedbank accounting for the biggest component of demand and Edinburgh Waverley the most frequent destination. Compared to Year 1, has been an increase in inbound and outbound travel at all the Midlothian stations while the number of people travelling to Galashiels and Tweedbank has fallen with the latter likely a reflection of the novelty impact of the line. Based on the frequency with which respondents indicated they made their current trip, it is estimated that approximately 35,900 (35%) of the estimated annual single trips recorded via the sample were ‘new trips’. 3 Borders Railway Year 2 Evaluation Survey of users and non-users Transport Scotland In terms of tourists, 71% said that the re-opening of the line had been a factor in choosing to make their trip and 25% stated that they would not have made the trip had the line not been in place. Commuting is the most common journey purpose. In comparison to the Year 1 Survey, there is a higher proportion of commuting and leisure trips and a smaller proportion of educational trips. In total, 60% of respondents to the User Survey reported that the purpose of their trip was either a tourist day trip or an overnight stay. Of these, 25% were travelling to Midlothian and / or the Scottish Borders. The re-opening of the Borders Railway has resulted in significant modal shift from the car to public transport with 61% of respondents stating that they previously made their journey by another mode. Of these, 64% reported that they previously drove all their way to their destination resulting in approximately 35,800 saved single car trips. There has also been a shift from bus to rail with 25% of those who formerly travelled by another method reporting that they took the bus, equating to a reduction in approximately 14,100 annual single trips. While the re-opening of the railway has resulted in improvements in access between stations, there have been changes in the bus network which are likely to have led to declines in accessibility at some locations. Most notable amongst these declines is the reduction in frequency of the X95 Service which is likely to have led to a reduction in access for areas on the A7 served by this bus which are not directly served by the Borders Railway. The data indicates that the Borders Railway has influenced people’s residential and workplace choices with nearly 17% stating that they had moved house since the re-opening of the line of which 58% stated that the re- opening of the Borders Railway was a factor in their decision. The proportion who stated that the line had been a factor in their decision to move was slightly higher in Year 2 compared to Year 1 although the difference is marginal. Of those who had moved house, 29% stated that they would not have moved to their current address in the absence of the railway, a similar figure to that seen in Year 1. There is evidence that the Borders Railway has had an impact on people’s choice of workplace with 52%% of those who had moved employment stating that the re-opening of the line had been a factor in their decision. Generally, there was a high level of satisfaction with 95% of respondents rating the quality of service as Very Good or Good. Users were least satisfied with Other aspects of service such as the on-board facilities (toilets, Wi-Fi) as well as Storage facilities for bicycles / buggies on the train’. The greater convenience offered by the car was the most popular reason amongst one-off, non- and irregular users for not using the service / not using the service more frequently. In Midlothian, the bus was highlighted as a greater draw than in the Scottish Borders with 51% finding the bus cheaper than the train and 40% finding it more convenient. Overall, 40% of one-off, non- and irregular users said that improvements to the Borders Railway would encourage them to use the railway / use it more frequently, with ‘lower train fares’ being the most popular improvement. 4 Borders Railway Year 2 Evaluation Survey of users and non-users Transport Scotland Executive Summary Aims of the Research The aim of this research was to complete a repeat of the Stage 1 Evaluation two years after the re-opening of the Borders Railway. As with the Stage 1 Evaluation this research aims to provide a high-level assessment of the extent to which the investment is on track to meet its Investment Objectives. The Investment Objectives for the Borders Railway, as outlined in the Final Business Case (FBC) for the scheme1, are included in Table S1 below. Table S1: Borders Railway Investment Objectives Objective Description Investment Objective 1 Promote accessibility to and from the Scottish Borders and Midlothian to Edinburgh and the central belt Investment Objective 2 Foster social inclusion by improving services for those without access to a car Investment Objective 3 Prevent decline in the Borders population by securing ready access to Edinburgh’s labour market Investment Objective 4 Create modal shift from the car to public transport In addition to exploring the above, the research also sought to explore views of the service and barriers to use amongst one-off and non-users and examine the impact of the line on visitor numbers during the summer peak and, in so doing, provide greater clarity on the overall tourism impact of the new line. Methodological Approach To inform the research a primary data collection exercise was completed comprising: an on-train survey of users of the Borders Railway. a telephone survey of non-, one-off and infrequent users of the Borders Railway based within the Scottish Borders and Midlothian; and secondary data analysis, including a review of ticket sales and passenger count data and an analysis of public transport connectivity. In addition, a series of consultations were carried out with bus operators / local councils in the Borders and Midlothian to help develop understanding of the impacts of the Borders Railway on bus services. In total, 825 responses were received to the User Survey and 250 responses were received to the Non-User Survey. While the response numbers were lower than achieved at the Year 1 stage, this was to be expected given that the survey period was shorter. Summing the number of journeys made by respondents to the User 1 http://www.transport.gov.scot/system/files/documents/reports/TS_Borders_FBC_final_version_issued.pdf 5 Borders Railway Year 2 Evaluation Survey of users and non-users Transport Scotland Survey over a year equates to over 102,000 single trips – approximately 7% of the passenger journeys recorded during the first full year of opening. Key Findings Investment Objectives A summary of the key findings with respect to the Investment Objectives is provided below. Investment Objective 1: Promote accessibility to and from the Scottish Borders and Midlothian to Edinburgh and the central belt The results of the research suggest that the Borders Railway is achieving Investment Objective 1. There are large volumes of users using the service to travel between the Scottish Borders / Midlothian and Edinburgh, with total patronage on the line increasing by 9.5% since Year 1.