Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has pledged to examine the case for extending the Borders Railway if the Scottish National Party are re-elected in next month's Holyrood elections.
She made the promise on a visit to Hawick, which would be connected to the line if a proposed 17-mile addition to the line went ahead.
Under the plans, the line would extend from its existing terminus at Tweedbank through Hawick and across the border with England to Carlisle, thus fully restoring the old Borders Line that ran from Carlisle to Edinburgh until it was axed by the Beeching Cuts.
The 31-mile section from Tweedbank to the Scottish capital resumed services last September after a 47-year gap, with 125,000 passengers using it during its first month.
A recent Borders Council wish-list for the line included new stations at Reston and East Linton, as well as passing loops to enable trains to run in both directions on what is currently a single-track line.
