Primary data

This section presents findings from primary data collection, undertaken specifically for the Reston Railway Station Stage 1 Evaluation. The primary research provides direct insight into travel behaviour, attitudes, perceptions and early impacts associated with the reopening of the station, capturing evidence that is not available through secondary sources.

Primary data has been used to:

• Understand how individuals and businesses are currently using the station
• Assess changes in travel behaviour and journey patterns
• Capture user perceptions of accessibility, service quality and value
• Identify barriers to use and opportunities for improvement
• Explore early economic and community impacts

The findings represent a snapshot in time (2025–26) and should be interpreted in the context of a scheme that is still maturing. To support robust analysis, survey results have been compared with baseline (pre-opening) survey data and, where available, spatial differences (e.g. Reston vs wider catchment). The primary sources of data include resident, business and visitor surveys which together, provide a rich, user-focused evidence base, enabling the evaluation to assess change as a result of the scheme.

Residents Survey

Introduction

A residents survey was undertaken to understand travel behaviours and attitudes post-delivery of Reston Railway Station.

The survey was conducted through telephone based interviewing targeted at residential areas across East Berwickshire and the Scottish Borders. The target area for these surveys was determined based on the baseline stage of this evaluation to ensure that a similar group of residents were contacted and to allow a like for like comparison as far as possible.

At baseline stage a resident survey was designed with the following objectives set:

At this stage, the baseline survey was revisited and expanded to enable comparisons to be made and to evaluate the impact of the new station.

Methodology

Target Area

A target area was selected to replicate what was adopted at baseline stage. This area is presented within Figure 3, capturing many settlements across East Berwickshire and wider areas across the Scottish Borders. The area consists of 181 Census 2022 Output Areas.

Households postcodes within this area were derived using the ONS Postcode Directory (ONSPD) for the United Kingdom as of May 2025. 937 individual postcodes were identified across the study area. These postcodes were then used to derive telephone numbers from a GDPR compliant data provider.

Survey Material

The questionnaire was designed collaboratively between Jacobs, IBP Strategy and Research and Transport Scotland to ensure that the questions being posed aligned as far as practical with the data collected at baseline stage and enable direct comparisons to be made. IBP Strategy and Research are a UK based research consultancy who undertake quantitative and qualitative data collection, for this study IBP Strategy and Research undertook the data collection associated with the residents, business, visitor and counterfactual surveys. Additional questions were woven into the questionnaire to determine utilisation and perceptions of the new station at this post-scheme delivery stage.

The Stage 1 survey adopted similar themes to the baseline survey, designed to draw out key information that would ultimately help inform the evaluation objectives. Socio-demographic data was also collected as part of the survey to better understand the characteristics of respondents from key groups and whether these have changed since baseline data collection, further assisting comparative analysis to the baseline. The themes within the survey include:

• Your travel – questions designed to explore the modes of transport being used, journey purposes, frequency of travel and key destinations that are visited.
• Use of the Rail Network – questions designed to put particular emphasis on how residents use the rail network at this stage in terms of stations used, modes used for access, frequency of travel and general satisfaction.
• Reston Rail Station – questions designed to more specifically ask about the performance of Reston Rail Station.
• About You – questions designed to understand the current demographics within the identified study area including metrics such as age, gender, ethnicity, disability status and income.

A copy of the survey is included within Appendix A.

Survey Delivery

Surveys were undertaken primarily by telephone through Computer Aided Telephone Interview (CATI). Telephone contacts were sourced from a GDPR-compliant data provider, meaning that in all cases, respondents had opted in to the sharing of their contact details for purposes such as this.

The baseline survey (conducted during May 2022) reached 352 residents from an estimated resident population in the target area of 20,038. This provides a margin of error of +/- 5.18% based on a 50% estimate and 95% confidence level.

At Stage 1 a typical target would be to achieve around +/-5% of the baseline sample requiring an achieved sample of 377 interviews. A target was therefore set to achieve this slightly higher target number of interviews.

In addition, it was recognised that the baseline survey was understood to contain comparatively few responses from Reston itself, with the sample frame extending significantly beyond this. It was therefore agreed that, of the target of 377 interviews, 60 would specifically target Reston residents. In practice, this required these interviews to be conducted on a face-to-face basis.

Therefore, the total achieved sample of 377 interviews for the Stage 1 evaluation includes 317 telephone and 60 face-to-face interviews. Reston residents have been separately identified for analysis purposes.

Comparison to Baseline Survey

The baseline residents survey applied age weighting relative to National Records of Scotland population estimates for relevant Local Authority areas. Review of the original methodology suggests that the relationship between the survey catchment areas and these wider population geographies was not always a direct one. In addition, weighting was not applied in relation to other demographic or contextual variables.

Sensitivity analysis suggests that age weighting had limited impact on overall findings and broad trends.

Accordingly, unweighted data has been used for primary comparative analysis in order to maintain consistency between the baseline and evaluation datasets. Sub-group analysis has been undertaken where appropriate, and any relevant considerations or limitations relating to comparability are noted throughout the report.

Research Limitations

As with most resident perception surveys of this nature, the findings should be interpreted with awareness that they reflect the views and behaviours of those individuals who chose to participate during the fieldwork period. While efforts were made to secure a broad spread of responses across different demographic groups and geographic areas, some groups may remain under- or over-represented within the achieved sample.

In addition, responses relating to changes in travel behaviour, awareness or perceptions may be influenced by respondents’ ability to accurately recall previous behaviours and by wider external factors affecting transport use, including fuel costs, broader economic conditions and changes in working patterns. The survey should therefore be regarded as providing a robust snapshot of resident views during the evaluation period rather than a definitive measure of all impacts associated with the station. 

Data & Analysis

Respondent Profile

The survey asked for all respondents to identify the following demographic information:

• Place of Residence
• Place of Employment
• Gender
• Age
• Ethnicity
• Employment Status
• Household Income
• Health Conditions
• Access to a vehicle
• National Entitlement Card ownership (provides free bus travel and local services to those that qualify)

This was incorporated to help identify any problems and opportunities for specific groups. This targeted analysis helps to ensure there is good representation within the sample and develops an understanding of how residents with different protected characteristics have been impacted by the scheme. The respondent profile is presented below for each of these characteristics. In total 377 responses were achieved.

Place of Residence

Figure 4 presents the usual place of residence for each survey respondent. Respondents were asked to provide the first part, and then the first digit in the second part of their home postcode. East Berwickshire is made up of large postcode zones, hence why a significant proportion of the respondents are grouped around Duns (114 responses from TD11) and Eyemouth (173 responses from TD14) which represents many of the rural settlements in and around Reston. The survey data also has a wider reach than the immediate local area (although to a lesser extent) with communities including Berwick-upon-Tweed, Cockburnspath, Coldstream and Greenlaw taking part in the survey.

Place of Work

Respondents were asked to identify their usual place of work. Some of the respondents (29 in total) outlined that they preferred not to identify their place of work; of those who did, Figure 5 shows that many work in and around Duns and Eyemouth with fewer travelling further distances to Edinburgh. There were also some individual cases of longer distance travel that are not shown within Figure 5, these include journeys to Glasgow, Alness, Morpeth (England) and Swansea (Wales).

Gender

Results from the residents survey in Figure 6 below revealed that 59% of respondents were female, 39% were male and 2% preferred not to say (from a base of 377 responses). This closely aligns with the baseline survey where similarly more female respondents were represented within the sample (55% female, 44% male, 1% prefer not to say).

Age Profile

Respondents were also asked to identify their age based on a set of bands. Figure 7 demonstrates that respondents from each age band have been represented by the survey, but there are some spikes in this data, demonstrating higher representation from groups in the 45-54 years of age (16%), 65-74 years of age (26%) and 75+ years of age (15%) categories. Some respondents did choose not to disclose their age; this represents 4% of the sample. As shown within Figure 7, this profile aligns closely with that observed at the baseline stage.

Ethnicity

At baseline stage, the majority of respondents (93%) came from a white ethnic group or background. At this stage, a similar profile has been observed, with 96% of the sample coming from a white ethnic group. Table 4 presents the full profile of ethnicities observed during both stages of data collection.

Table 4: Resident Survey – Ethnicities

Ethnic Origin	Baseline 2022	2026
White - Scottish	51%	71%
White - Other British	34%	23%
White - Irish	1%	1%
White - Gypsy / Traveller	0%	0%
White - Polish	0%	0%
White - Any other White ethnic group	7%	1%
Mixed or Multiple Ethnic Group (please specify below)	1%	0%
Asian - Pakistani, Pakistani Scottish or Pakistani British	0%	0%
Asian - Indian, Indian Scottish or Indian British	0%	0%
Asian - Bangladeshi, Bangladeshi Scottish or Bangladeshi British	0%	0%
Asian - Chinese, Chinese Scottish or Chinese British	0%	0%
Asian - Any other Asian ethnic group	0%	0%
African - African, African Scottish or African British	0%	0%
African - Any other African ethnic group	0%	0%
Caribbean or Black - Caribbean, Caribbean Scottish or Caribbean British	0%	0%
Caribbean or Black - Black, Black Scottish or Black British	0%	0%
Caribbean or Black - Any other Caribbean or Black ethnic group	0%	0%
Other - Arab, Arab Scottish or Arab British	0%	0%
Other - Any other ethnic group	1%	0%
Don't know	0%	0%
Prefer not to say	5%	3%
Base	352	377

Employment Status

Table 5 presents the employment status of respondents taking part in the baseline survey and the latest resident survey. There is a close correlation between the two datasets with a large proportion of respondents either retired (40%) or in full time employment (28%). This aligns closely with the age profile of the respondents which demonstrated over half of the respondents over the age of 60. This proportion is higher than the age profile of East Berwickshire, where around 35% of the population are over the age of 60.

Employment Status	Baseline	2026
Full-time employment	28%	28%
Part-time employment	15%	12%
Full or part time further education	0%	1%
Full or part time higher education	0%	1%
Not in employment due to illness or disability	2%	6%
Not in employment / looking after home or family	0%	3%
Unemployed	3%	2%
Retired	45%	40%
Other (please specify below)	5%	7%
Prefer not to say	1%	1%
Base	352	377

Household Income

Table 6 presents the annual household income before tax of those who provided this data. Comparing the current sample to the baseline, this shows that respondents at this stage had a higher income than respondents in the baseline. At the baseline stage, 31% of respondents earnt less than £20,000 per annum, compared to 13% at the latest stage of evaluation.

At the other end of the scale, at baseline stage, 3% of respondents identified as earning over £60,000 per annum, compared to 9% in the latest data. This can be a sensitive area, and it is noted that 39% of the sample chose not to disclose this information which can skew the findings.

Table 6: Resident Survey - Household Income

Baseline Income Band	Baseline %	2026 Income Band	2026 %
Less than £10,000	12%	Under £20,000	13%
£10,001 to £20,000	19%	Under £20,000	13%
£20,001 to £30,000	15%	£20,000 to £39,999	18%
£30,001 to £40,000	7%	£20,000 to £39,999	18%
£40,001 - £50,000	5%	£40,000 to £59,999	9%
£50,001 - £60,000	2%	£40,000 to £59,999	9%
Over £60,000	3%	£60,000 to £79,999	5%
Over £60,000	3%	£80,000 to £99,999	2%
Over £60,000	3%	More than £100,000	2%
Don't know	6%	Don't know	11%
Prefer not to say	30%	Prefer not to say	39%
Base	352	Base	377

Health Conditions

Respondents were asked to identify whether they have a physical or mental health condition or illness that will last or is expected to last 12 months or more. Figure 8 shows that almost one third of respondents (32%) indicated that they had a physical and/or mental health condition or illness that would last or was expected to last for 12 months or more.

Respondents were also asked whether this condition or illness impairs their mobility. Figure 9 shows that of those who identified as having a health condition, 63% stated that their condition or illness impaired their mobility.

Access to a Vehicle

Figure 10 shows that the majority of respondents have full access to a vehicle as a driver (73%), with 10% of participants having no access to a vehicle.

National Entitlement Card

The National Entitlement Card (NEC) in Scotland provides free bus travel and local services to residents aged 5–21, 60+, or those with disabilities. Figure 11 shows that compared to the baseline survey, the current sample includes more NEC holders, representing almost half of the sample (48%) compared to just over a third at baseline stage (35%). Again, this correlates with the greater proportion of respondents who are either retired or of retirement age.

Transport Choices

Commuting Travel Patterns

Respondents were asked to identify their travel habits in terms of commuter journeys. Figure 12 shows that of those who are currently employed (either full or part time), 64% identified that they travel to a fixed place of work and/or education entirely. Almost a quarter of respondents (23%) work from home entirely and 13% work on a hybrid basis. This reveals that a significant proportion of respondents undertake commuting journeys to their place of work/education. This is broadly similar to the findings at baseline stage where the majority of the sample (although lower at 55%) travelled to fixed place of work.

Of those respondents who travel to a fixed place of work either entirely or on a hybrid basis, Figure 13 presents the typical frequency of their journeys. This reveals that 51% of the commuting sample travel five days per week or more and 46% travel less than five days per week. This overall profile is consistent with that demonstrated at baseline stage.

Table 7 presents the typical method of travel to work for the commuting respondents. This demonstrates that the proportion of journeys undertaken by car (driver and passenger) has remained consistent between the baseline (78%) and current survey (80%). Similarly, the number of journeys undertaken by rail remain consistent at 4% (compared to 3% during the baseline survey). This data suggests that the introduction of the station has not had a material impact on travel choices since opening. This aligns with the findings presented within Figure 5, which revealed that a high proportion of journeys to work are relatively short distance in nature and therefore have a high possibility of being undertaken by car. As travel patterns continue to change over time journeys to locations such as Edinburgh may become more favourable for work.

Table 7: Resident Survey - Method of Travel to Work

Mode of Transport	Baseline	2026
Walk / Wheel	14%	10%
Cycle	1%	1%
Bus	1%	2%
Rail	3%	4%
Bus & Rail	0%	0%
Park & Ride (Bus)	0%	0%
Park & Ride (Rail)	1%	2%
Car / Van (passenger)	2%	9%
Car / Van (drive myself)	76%	71%
Other	3%	2%
Base	123	114

Figure 14 shows that a similar trend is observed when focusing analysis on residents within the immediate vicinity of Reston Rail Station. Here the private car modal share still dominates, representing 67% of journeys to work; however, a greater proportion identify as commuting by rail (14%). It is noted that Reston residents who are currently in work represent a small proportion of the sample (22 responses) therefore this may not truly reflect the local travel patterns.

The average journey time for commuting trips appears to be lower than that witnessed during the baseline survey. Table 8 shows that on average, journey times are approximately 10 minutes faster based on data gathered during the most recent survey.

Table 8: Resident Survey - Average Length of Commuter Journeys.

Duration	Baseline	2026
Length of journey commuting to work / education	33 minutes	23 minutes
Base	Unknown	114

Leisure Travel Patterns

Table 9 presents the most visited destinations for leisure based travel. The current survey reveals that the majority of journeys are to Berwick-upon-Tweed (74%), Eyemouth (49%) and Edinburgh (42%). At the baseline stage, respondents were asked to consider personal business and leisure journeys separately. For personal business, the most frequented destinations were also Berwick-upon-Tweed (82%), Eyemouth (44%) and Edinburgh (41%). However, for leisure based journeys North Berwick (61%) and Haddington (35%) were also identified.

When looking at the smaller sample of Reston residents in close proximity to the station, a similar trend is noticeable with most leisure based journeys taking place between Reston and Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Dunbar, Edinburgh and Eyemouth.

Table 9: Resident Survey Destinations for Leisure Trips

Location	Baseline (Personal Business)	Baseline (Leisure Purposes)	2026 All Responses	2026 - Reston Residents
Berwick Upon Tweed	82%	34%	74%	38%
Dunbar	26%	10%	37%	38%
Edinburgh	41%	5%	42%	31%
Eyemouth	44%	17%	49%	49%
Haddington	15%	35%	15%	11%
Musselburgh	8%	14%	9%	6%
Newcastle	17%	5%	14%	6%
North Berwick	11%	61%	11%	11%
Other	22%	31%	3%	3%
Base	252	252	375	72

Respondents identified the number of journeys they have undertaken to various destinations over the last 30 days. Table 10 presents the average number of journeys to each destination in the past 30 days. The results from the latest survey demonstrate that on average 10.9 journeys are undertaken to Eyemouth per month, which correlates with the baseline survey for both personal business (10.7) and leisure journeys (8).

Table 10: Resident Survey Average number of journeys to key destinations for leisure based trips

Location	Baseline (personal business) Avg. number of times	Baseline (personal business) Base	Baseline (leisure purposes) Avg. number of times	Baseline (leisure purposes) Base	2026 Avg. number of times	2026 Base
Berwick Upon Tweed	9.3	275	8.3	197	8.1	276
Dunbar	3.9	87	3.3	51	5	139
Edinburgh	2.6	140	2	116	3.9	158
Eyemouth	10.7	152	8	100	10.9	183
Haddington	2.4	45	1.8	22	3.4	58
Musselburgh	2.2	26	1.8	13	3.1	32
Newcastle	1.6	48	1.8	37	3.7	54
North Berwick	2.1	33	1.7	22	3.5	40

Respondents were asked to identify the main method of travel used to undertake their leisure journeys by destination. The top two modes for each destination are presented below. Results from the latest survey shown in Table 11 below demonstrate that Car/Van (driver) is the most popular mode of transport which is consistent with findings from the baseline in terms of personal business and leisure based trips. Rail does appear within the top two preferred modes for longer distance journeys to Edinburgh (20%) and Newcastle (37%) which remains consistent with the findings of the baseline survey.

Table 11: Resident Survey Main Method of Travel for Leisure Journeys

Location	Top two modes	Baseline (personal business)	Baseline (leisure purposes)	2026
Berwick Upon Tweed	Car/Van Driver	80%	73%	77%
Berwick Upon Tweed	Car/Van Passenger	11%	13%	15%
Dunbar	Car/Van Driver	87%	80%	77%
Dunbar	Car/Van Passenger	12%	18%	12%
Edinburgh	Car/Van Driver	67%	61%	65%
Edinburgh	Rail	15%	18%	20%
Eyemouth	Car/Van Driver	74%	65%	77%
Eyemouth	Walk	10%	15%	13%
Haddington	Car/Van Driver	84%	82%	88%
Haddington	Car/Van Passenger	9%	9%	9%
Musselburgh	Car/Van Driver	96%	77%	82%
Musselburgh	Car/Van Passenger	4%	15%	12%
Newcastle	Car/Van Driver	58%	35%	44%
Newcastle	Rail	25%	38%	37%
North Berwick	Car/Van Driver	85%	73%	76%
North Berwick	Car/Van Passenger	9%	18%	20%

Table 12 shows that respondents who live in close proximity to the station demonstrate a similar trend in terms of car being the dominant mode of travel for leisure based journeys. However, this also reveals a greater rail mode share amongst the Reston residents captured in the survey, in particular for longer distance journeys to Edinburgh (45%) and Newcastle (50%). This suggests that rail may now be a more viable option for residents in close proximity to Reston; however, it is noted that this is a much smaller sample and may not represent all Reston residents.

Table 12: Resident Survey – Mode of Travel for Leisure Based Trips

Location	Car / Van (driver)	Car / Van (non-driver)	Rail	Bus	Base
Berwick-Upon-Tweed	48%	30%	15%	7%	27
Dunbar	52%	15%	22%	11%	27
Edinburgh	50%	5%	45%	0%	22
Eyemouth	53%	29%	0%	18%	34
Haddington	71%	29%	0%	0%	7
Musselburgh	25%	75%	0%	0%	4
Newcastle	50%	0%	50%	0%	4
North Berwick	75%	13%	13%	0%	8

Respondents were also asked to consider their typical journey times to each of these locations for leisure-based trips. Table 13 shows that compared to the baseline, average journeys times are perceived to be shorter to Dunbar, Edinburgh, Eyemouth, Haddington, Musselburgh, Newcastle and North Berwick compared to the baseline average journey times.

Table 13: Resident Survey - Journey Times for Leisure Based Journeys

Location	Baseline (personal business)	Baseline (personal business)	Baseline (leisure purposes)	Baseline (leisure purposes)	2026 Average minutes	2026 Base
Berwick Upon Tweed	19.0	273	18.4	195	19.0	276
Dunbar	28.5	86	30.8	51	24.9	140
Edinburgh	58.3	140	58.8	116	47.6	159
Eyemouth	17.2	150	15.5	100	13.3	182
Haddington	36.0	45	40.7	22	34.4	58
Musselburgh	43.7	26	48.8	13	43.2	34
Newcastle	71.6	48	71.5	37	55.6	53
North Berwick	49.5	33	50.9	22	39.7	41

Use of the Rail Network

Rail Users & Non-Users

Out of the full sample, 60% have travelled by rail at least once over the last 12 months. This information has been used to analyse the thoughts, feelings and travel patterns of rail users and non-users at this stage.

Most Used Stations

Respondents who have used rail over the last 12 months were asked to identify where they typically catch the train. Figure 15 shows that 29% of respondents currently use Reston Railway Station and the data suggests that some of these journeys may have been abstracted from Berwick-upon-Tweed which was used by 85% of rail users during the baseline stage (however, it is noted that the sample of rail users at baseline stage was notably lower).

Typical Mode of Access

Rail users were also asked to identify the typical mode used to access their most frequently used rail stations (see Figure 16). Compared to the baseline survey, car/van use has increased and continues to be the dominant mode used to access rail stations, representing 82% of the sample. In the baseline and current survey, very few respondents identified that they walked/wheeled to the station or used public transport. This can mostly be attributed to the rural setting in which Reston is situated, meaning viable walking routes and frequent public transport services are not as? readily available to provide access from nearby settlements by modes other than car.

Figure 17 shows that a small number of residents living in close proximity to the station identified as rail users (36 in total). Of these respondents, 69% accessed the rail network by walking/wheeling and 31% travelled by car (either as driver or passenger). This demonstrates that the majority of residents who live in close proximity to the station travel to it using active modes. These represent rail users who might have previously driven to other stations therefore demonstrating modal shift as a result of the scheme. However, it is recognised that this represents a very small proportion of the sample (36 responses) which reduces the confidence in this data.

Reasons for not traveling by rail

Non-rail and infrequent users were asked to identify their reasons for not traveling by rail. Figure 18 below shows that most respondents identified that the convenience of travelling by car / van (70%) and the expense associated with rail (42%) were reasons for their travel choices.

Respondents were also encouraged to identify any other reasons for not travelling by train beyond the list of potential reasons included in the survey. Responses mainly highlight a limited need to travel by train, with many people stating they rarely travel far, work locally, or simply have no reason to use rail. Accessibility issues are a key barrier, particularly for disabled users, including broken lifts, difficulty boarding, and the need for reliable facilities. Health conditions and mobility constraints also make car travel preferable. Concerns about safety, unattended stations, and leaving cars at stations were noted, alongside dissatisfaction with reliability due to delays and cancellations. Practical factors such as lack of nearby stations, parking difficulties, and preference for more convenient modes like buses further reduce train use.

East Coast Mainline

Use of ECML

Respondents were asked to identify whether they are users of the East Coast Mainline. Figure 19 illustrates a major behavioural shift toward train use by 2026. Previously, most respondents either did not travel on the route or felt unable or unwilling to use trains. By 2026, the overwhelming majority (87%) say they will continue using the train, indicating significantly improved accessibility, appeal, or necessity of train travel on this route.

Satisfaction with ECML

Figure 20 shows that overall, satisfaction with the East Coast Main Line in 2026 is broadly positive across most criteria, with a majority of respondents reporting that they are either satisfied or very satisfied with aspects such as journey times, punctuality, reliability, on-board comfort, and onward connections. Accessibility features and seat availability also receive generally favourable ratings, although with slightly more mixed responses. However, there are notable areas of dissatisfaction, particularly around the frequency of train services (27% dissatisfied) and the timing of the first and last trains (48% dissatisfied), where a higher proportion of respondents report being dissatisfied or very dissatisfied. This indicates that while core service quality is performing well, service availability and scheduling remain key areas for improvement.

This aligns closely to the results recorded at baseline stage, where a positive overall level of satisfaction with the ECML was demonstrated.

Use of Reston Railway Station

Station Utilisation

At baseline stage, residents were asked whether they planned to use Reston Railway Station once it was available to them, with 38% of respondents outlining they would make use of the station before scheme delivery. At Stage 1, from a similar sample size, 30% identified themselves as either regular or occasional station users. This is shown in Figure 21 below. This data suggests that station uptake has not quite reached the level of utilisation anticipated by residents prior to scheme delivery. This data reveals the difference between stated and revealed preferences, with the stated preference at the baseline stage measuring intentions whilst the revealed preference at this stage measures actual choices made by station users.

Of the respondents who live in close proximity to Reston Railway Station, 53% identified that they used the station either regularly or occasionally (out of a sample of 72 respondents).

Figure 22 presents a breakdown of station utilisation based on each respondent’s place of residence. This shows a disparity between Reston residents and those residing in surrounding rural areas. A greater proportion of Reston residents identified regular and occasional use of the station (53% vs 24%); however, just under a third of the local population (31%) stated that they are yet to use the station.

Table 14 shows that use of the station has demonstrated growth since opening in 2022, with respondents using the station for the first time as recent as 2025.

Table 14: Resident Survey – First Use of Rail Station

First Use of the Station	Percentage of Station Users
Have used the station since opening	53%
Used the station since 2023	10%
Used the station since 2024	19%
Used the station since 2025	18%

This suggests that the station is still ‘bedding in’ and that continued growth is likely. This should be evaluated further at the next stage of the evaluation process. In terms of utilisation on a weekly basis, the majority of respondents identified that they use the station less often than once a week (79%), suggesting it is not a significant part of their daily routine, or a mode of transport they rely on. Of the respondents:

• 79% use less often than once a week
• 8% use once per week
• 8% use between 2-3 days per week
• 1% use 5 days per week

Figure 23 shows that at baseline stage, residents were also asked what journey purposes they were likely to use Reston Railway Station for. This revealed that few residents planned to use the station for travel to employment and education and that there was a greater expectation for leisure-based trips. Post scheme delivery, this general trend has been realised, with few respondents using the station for access to employment (10%) and education (2%) and the majority using the station for leisure (91%) and personal business (26%). This predominantly leisure-based use of the station aligns with the findings that Reston Railway Station is mostly used for infrequent journeys.

A similar trend was also apparent amongst residents in close proximity to Reston Railway Station. Figure 24 shows that 89% of Reston residents, who are station users, use the station for leisure based travel and 13% use for commuting (from a sample of 38 responses).

Respondents were also asked the degree to which Reston Railway Station has impacted their frequency of travel. Figure 25 shows that the overriding message is that the station has largely had no impact on the frequency of travel of residents (84%), although 13% identified that the presence of the station has led to them undertaking more journeys.

Reasons for Non-Use

‘Non-users’ of Reston Railway Station were asked to identify the main reasons for non-use. A set of reasons were presented to the respondents, and they were asked to identify whether they consider these to be Major, Minor or Not a reason for not using the station. Figure 26 presents the results, revealing that many respondents did not see these as either a major or minor reason for not using rail. However, this data does reveal that there is a preference amongst respondents to use their private vehicle opposed to rail (43% identifying this as a major reason and 10% as a minor reason). This is compounded by the identified limited public transport choices available to residents which was also raised as a major reason. Of the respondents, 27% outlined that having no convenient public transport links between their home and the station was a major reason for not using rail; and 16% outlined that having no convenient public transport links between the destination station and their final destination was a major reason for not traveling by rail.

This data also demonstrates that around a quarter of respondents (24%) see train frequencies as a major reason for not using the station, suggesting that the current services are too infrequent for rail to be considered a viable transport alternative.

Total journey times and timetables have also been outlined as a major reason for not using the station, as 19% of respondents stated that the train times do not meet their needs; and 18% outlined that rail travel would take longer than their current mode of travel and that these were both a major reason for not using rail.

Mode of Access

Reston Railway Station users were asked to identify their typical mode of travel used to access the station. Figure 27 presents the total sample of station users (112 respondents) across the entire survey area. Across the complete sample, 24% currently either walk or wheel to access the station and a significant proportion currently travel by car (67%). This tendency to access the station by car aligns with the rural nature of the survey area and limited public transport that is available. Reston provides a rail connection for many rural communities that are beyond a typical walking distance which may be a reason why a reliance on private cars is apparent.

To investigate this further the sample has been reduced to focus on residents exclusively in and around Reston, to understand how this impacts modal choice. Figure 27 reveals a reduced car reliance within the immediate vicinity of the station with 28% travelling by car and 69% either walking or wheeling. This highlights that a significant proportion of the car journeys are travelling from longer distances and that the majority of local residents are accessing the station by active modes.

Perceptions of accessibility and connectivity

Respondents were asked to consider various factors related to accessibility and connectivity at Reston Railway Station, scoring each of the statements on a scale from Very Good to Very Poor. Figure 28 shows that an overriding positive response was received from a sample of 112 station users:

• 96% felt the station is easy to access.
• 85% stated the station had good or very good accessibility for disabled people or those with limited mobility.
• 94% were pleased with the wayfinding and signage associated with the station within Reston, making it easy to locate.
• 90% identified the cycle parking as good/very good.
• 84% felt the station opened up new journey opportunities for them.

Amongst these positive responses it is noticeable that there is some dissatisfaction regarding the ability to interchange between other transport modes, with 43% identifying this as either poor or very poor. This aligns with earlier comments regarding access by bus and the low modal share for public transport when accessing the station.

Station Facilities

Respondents were also asked to score station facilities on a scale from Very Good to Very Poor. Figure 29 shows that responses demonstrate a significant degree of satisfaction with the facilities provided, with upward of 90% scoring the facilities as either good or very good for many of the measures used. In particular, 96% of respondents felt the station was safe during daylight hours and 87% feel safe in and around the station during evenings and night time.

Validating the Baseline

To further validate the baseline position at this point in time, respondents were asked whether they were rail users prior to the station opening and what stations they previously used. Figure 30 demonstrates that of the sample, a significant proportion used rail prior to the station opening (67%) and a third of respondents did not travel by train prior to the station opening. Of those who previously travel by rail, 11% previously used Dunbar Rail Station and 6% used Berwick-Upon-Tweed. Other stations used include, Dumfries, Lockerbie, Tweedbank, Galashiels, Newcraighall and Edinburgh demonstrating the need to travel significant distances to access the rail network prior to the opening of Reston Railway Station.

There is some variation when comparing the proportion of residents living in close proximity to Reston Railway Station who used rail prior to scheme opening. Figure 31 shows that from a sample of 61 respondents, 62% did not travel by train prior to Reston Railway Station opening, almost double the wider sample. This helps to demonstrate that rail was not considered a viable transport choice prior to the delivery of the station with many choosing not to use rail at all. Of those who did, similar to the wider sample, a significant proportion (68%) of these travelled to Berwick-Upon-Tweed to access the rail network.

Respondents were also asked to consider how the opening of Reston Railway Station has impacted their use of private cars to particular destinations. Figure 32 shows that for travel to Newcastle, Berwick-Upon-Tweed and Edinburgh, the vast majority of respondents stated that the station had no impact on replacing their car journeys. However, 28% did identify that the station has led to them replacing car journeys to some extent when accessing Edinburgh.

When looking at the local Reston population, Figure 33 shows that greater proportions outlined that rail now replaces some of their journeys previously undertaken by car. For journeys to Edinburgh, 62% outlined that the opening of the rail station has contributed to reduced car use suggesting that greater use is taking place for longer distance journeys. Car travel is still prevalent for shorter distance journeys within Scottish Borders and neighbouring authorities but around one third of respondents suggest car journeys have been replaced to some extent.

Impact on Local Area

Respondents were asked to consider the general impact of the station on the local area. Figure 34 shows that the majority of responses (80%) see the station as having a positive impact on the local area.

As part of the resident survey, respondents were encouraged to provide any further comments regarding Reston Railway Station. These comments have been collated and categorised into the following themes:

• Very limited and unreliable train service
• Poor connectivity and lack of integration (especially buses)
• Underuse and “unnecessary investment” perception
• Positive local accessibility and potential benefits
• Station quality is good, but facilities are limited
• Affordability and pricing concerns
• Competition with nearby stations
• Social and local impacts
• Awareness and usage gaps
• Reliability, trust and confidence issues

Table 15 presents the collated responses which have been summarised based on the abovementioned themes. 264 individual responses were received from residents taking part in the survey.

Table 15: Resident Survey – Open Comments Summary

Theme	Summary of Responses
Very limited and unreliable train service	Too few trains stopping at the station Trains frequently pass through without stopping Reports of trains scheduled to stop but not doing so Poor evening and Sunday services Timetables do not support commuting, day trips and evening activities
Poor connectivity and lack of integration (especially buses)	Very limited or non-existent bus links to the station Difficult to access without a car Loss of previous bus services seen as a negative trade-off No coordinated onward travel (e.g. taxis, connections) Excludes non-drivers Reduces catchment area Forces people to use Berwick, Dunbar or other stations
Underuse and “unnecessary investment” perception	Repeated references to: “waste of money” “underused” “empty car park” Strong concern about mismatch between investment (£20m+) and service level Infrastructure is good, but not justified without sufficient trains
Positive local accessibility and potential benefits	Many acknowledge clear benefits: Improved access to Edinburgh, Newcastle, and beyond Greater travel choice for rural communities Supports commuters, young people, elderly / non-drivers Seen as opening up the area and increasing independence High potential, but not fully realised
Station quality is good, but facilities are limited	Positive: Clean, modern, well-maintained Good, free parking Safe and easy to use Issues: Lack of toilets, shops / cafes, waiting facilities / shelter. Exposure to weather Limited passenger amenities
Affordability and pricing concerns	Fares seen as: too expensive inconsistent with nearby stations (e.g. Berwick, Dunbar) Price influences station choice (many opt for other stations)
Competition with nearby stations	Reston is often not the preferred station despite proximity. Many people continue to use: Berwick-upon-Tweed (most common), Dunbar or others Reasons: more frequent services better reliability better pricing easier access / facilities
Social and local impacts	Positive: Aids commuting, job access and education access Attracts new residents and visitors Perceived boost to property values and local economy. Negative: Concerns about increased noise, outsiders / antisocial behaviour and village change.
Awareness and usage gaps	Some respondents: have never used the station are unaware of it live too far away to benefit
Reliability, trust and confidence issues	Missed stops create: risk of being stranded difficulty retrieving parked cars Perception that rail operators: “don’t prioritise” the station provide inconsistent service

Summary of Findings

The data captured as part of this stage 1 residents survey provides understanding of how travel behaviour, rail use and perceptions have evolved from the baseline stage following the opening of Reston Railway Station. The Resident Survey indicates that, while Reston Railway Station has improved perceived accessibility and is positively received by the local community, it has not yet resulted in material changes to overall travel behaviour.

Travel patterns remain strongly car‑dependent, particularly for commuting, with rail use largely confined to infrequent and leisure‑based journeys. When comparing baseline intended behaviour (stated preference) to actual utilisation (revealed preference) , observed station use is noticeably lower with around 30% of residents using the station compared to the 38% who anticipated using the station at baseline stage. The data also shows that the majority of station use occurs less than once per week.

Key barriers to greater uptake include service frequency, limited timetable suitability, weak public transport integration, and the continued convenience of private car use. Despite this, satisfaction with the station itself is high, with strong ratings for accessibility, safety and facilities, and around 80% of respondents perceive a positive impact on the local area. Overall, the station is viewed as a valuable asset with clear potential, but one that is still “bedding in” and constrained by operational and connectivity limitations.

There are disparities between the wider sample of respondents and residents of Reston who live in close proximity to the station. Local residents show a greater tendency to travel by rail with 14% using rail for commuting purposes and large proportions using the station for leisure based travel to long distance destinations (Edinburgh and Newcastle). Reston residents have also demonstrated that rail to some extent has contributed to a modal shift away from car use and that active modes are now being used to access the rail network. This suggests that while the widespread impact of the station is limited across East Berwickshire, the scheme has enabled new travel choices and patterns in the local area of Reston.

Business Survey

Introduction

A business survey was undertaken to better understand the potential business benefits and impacts of Reston Railway Station. These surveys were targeted at businesses and organisations across the study area as identified at baseline stage and aligned to that adopted for the residents surveys.

At baseline stage the following objectives were identified for the baseline business survey:

The baseline survey has been replicated based on these objectives and expanded to capture post-scheme opinions and realisations as a result of the opening of Reston Railway Station.

Methodology

Target Areas

The business survey has adopted the same catchment area as the resident survey. At baseline stage, 100 businesses completed the survey.

Survey Material

A business survey was developed collaboratively between Jacobs, IBP and Transport Scotland to ensure the most appropriate information was gathered, building on the structure of the baseline survey. The survey focused on the following themes:

• About your business/organisation – These questions determine business/organisation credentials, location and primary activities.
• Business Conditions – These questions investigate business markets, trading conditions, influencing factors, investment levels and recent financial performance for businesses across the study area.
• Your employees and their travel – These questions determine the number of full and part time employees currently employed, how these employees travel to and from their place of work and the nature and frequency of work-related journeys.
• Reston Railway Station – These questions focus on the impacts of the scheme regarding how employees and customers now travel and business performance since the opening of Reston Railway Station.

These Stage 1 surveys allow for direct comparisons to be made with the baseline survey that was undertaken prior to scheme delivery. This allows for market changes to be determined as a result of scheme delivery and whether expectations have been realised. The final survey is presented within Appendix A.

Survey Delivery

A hybrid approach to the business survey was adopted, involving data collection by telephone and on a face-to-face basis. This approach recognised the difficulties of securing the target sample size by the telephone method alone, particularly with regard to businesses in the retail, hospitality and similar sectors.

For the telephone survey component, telephone contact details were sourced from a GDPR compliant data provider. Forty-two interviews were achieved through this route.

Face-to-face interviews were secured by interviewer visits across a range of settlements within the target area, including Reston itself, Duns, Chirnside, Eyemouth, Greenlaw and Coldstream (this broadly reflected those settlements within which interviews were undertaken for the baseline survey); 53 interviews were conducted in this way.

The total achieved sample size for the business survey element was 95.

Comparison to Baseline Survey

The baseline business survey findings were reported on an unweighted basis, and a similar approach has been adopted for the Stage 1 evaluation survey.

Any relevant considerations or limitations relating to comparability are noted throughout the report.

Research Limitations

The business survey findings should be interpreted with appropriate caution due to the relatively specialist and diverse nature of the local business base and the practical challenges associated with securing participation from businesses of differing sizes and sectors. The achieved sample is likely to reflect those businesses that were available and willing to engage during the fieldwork period and may therefore under-represent some sectors or business types. In addition, business perceptions regarding economic impacts, customer behaviour and workforce travel patterns are inherently subjective and may also be influenced by wider economic and trading conditions unrelated to the rail station itself. The findings should therefore be considered indicative of business sentiment and experience rather than a precise measure of economic impact.

Data & Analysis

The findings from the business survey primary data collection are presented below in the following sections:

• Business characteristics – Summarising the business location activity and conditions at the time of undertaking the survey.
• Competitive advantages and disadvantages – Summarising whether transport connections/availability in various forms provides either a competitive advantage or disadvantage for businesses.
• Employees and their travel – Assessing commuting patterns and mode share.
• Business travel – Assessing travel patterns for travel in the course of work.
• Reston Railway Station – Exploring the impact of Reston Railway Station on businesses.

Business Characteristics

Business Location

Respondents were asked to provide the first part and first digit in the second part of their business postcode. Respondents were encouraged to provide the postcode for their main operation in the Scottish Borders and East Berwickshire areas. Figure 35 presents the postcodes provided by respondents. Many of the businesses targeted are in close proximity to Reston, situated either within TD14 5 (40 businesses) and TD11 3 (30 businesses) postcode sectors. At baseline stage, the largest proportion of businesses who took part in the survey were located in postcode sector TD15 1 (towards the south east of the study area); however, no responses were received from this location at this stage.

Figure 36 demonstrates that 78% of businesses have been operating at their current location for 10 years or more which is comparable to the baseline stage (65%). 21% of businesses have located in this area within the last five years which may have been influenced by the opening of Reston Railway Station (although this cannot be attributed directly).

Respondents were asked to identify whether they had relocated from elsewhere, the business was first established at this site, or their current location was opened up as part of a business expansion. Figure 37 shows that 81% of businesses identified that their business was first established at the current location.

Business representatives were also asked to identify whether they had any plans to move from, expand or contract at their current location. Figure 38 shoes that at both baseline and this stage of evaluation, the majority of businesses declared they had no plans to change their current arrangement.

Primary Activity

Respondents were asked to note the primary activity of their business. Table 16 shows that at this stage, a large proportion (over one third) of respondents represented wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (35%); and accommodation and food service activities (14%). This is comparable to the findings of the baseline survey, where similar majorities were identified. However, it is noticeable that a greater proportion of wholesale retail and trade was captured during this survey (35%) compared to the baseline stage (14%). Multiple other businesses were also captured by the survey allowing perceptions and market trends to be evaluated from business who represent a multitude of activities and sectors.

Table 16: Business Survey – Primary Activity

Sector	Baseline	2026
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing	10%	4%
Mining and quarrying	0%	0%
Manufacturing	1%	3%
Electricity, Gas, Steam and air conditioning	2%	0%
Water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	1%	2%
Construction	0%	2%
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles	14%	35%
Transport and storage	3%	3%
Accommodation and food service activities	19%	14%
Information and communication	0%	0%
Financial and insurance activities	0%	1%
Real estate activities	0%	2%
Professional, scientific and technical activities	0%	0%
Administrative and support service activities	1%	0%
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	1%	0%
Education	5%	3%
Human health and social work activities	10%	6%
Arts, entertainment and recreation	1%	3%
Tourism	4%	0%
Other	28%	21%
Base	100	95

Business Conditions

Commercial organisations and social enterprises were asked to identify the geographical markets they serve, the location of their main competitors and the location of their current suppliers. Respondents were asked to identify a percentage share across multiple geographic areas (totalling 100%). Table 17 presents the average percentage by geographic area and demonstrates that many businesses serve markets within the Scottish Borders (average of 81%) and that this is also where most of their competitors are located (average of 76%). Similarly, on average, 51% of suppliers are located within Scottish Borders. This demonstrates a tendency for shorter distance travel with limited trade taking place beyond Scotland.

Table 17: Business Survey – Business Conditions

Geographical market	Markets served	Main Competitors	Suppliers
Scottish Borders	81%	76%	51%
East Lothian	7%	5%	4%
Midlothian	1%	2%	0%
Edinburgh	1%	4%	8%
West Lothian	0%	1%	0%
Other Scotland	3%	6%	19%
North of England	4%	4%	7%
Other UK	2%	3%	7%
Overseas	1%	1%	2%
Base	79	71	74

Business representatives were asked to rate trading conditions on a scale from Very Good to Very Poor. Figure 39 shows that 75% of businesses were satisfied with the current trading conditions, rating them as either good or very good. This is an improvement on the baseline where 69% were satisfied.

Respondents were then asked to outline what has influenced recent business conditions. Table 18 below demonstrates that a small number of respondents outlined public transport connections as influencing recent business conditions and that market competition and market trends are the biggest influences. At baseline stage, 38% identified that public transport connections impacted business conditions; and 41% identified that a perception of remoteness impacted business conditions.

Table 18: Business Survey – Influences on business conditions

Influence	Baseline	2026
Access to bank finance	30%	7%
Availability of labour	45%	13%
Brexit	43%	10%
Changing market trends	59%	33%
Government regulations	39%	17%
Impact of COVID 19 pandemic*	83%	12%
Market competition	33%	38%
Marketing of the area	41%	18%
Perception of remoteness	41%	20%
Public transport connections - rail	N/A	4%
Public transport connections - bus	N/A	6%
Public transport connections	38%	N/A
Road network connections	35%	17%
Other	9%	22%
Base	100	82

Respondents were also asked to consider how easy or otherwise it is for them to recruit suitable staff. This has been compared with a similar question posed at baseline stage. As shown within Figure 40, at baseline stage (from a sample of 100 businesses) 21% considered it either easy or very easy to recruit suitable staff. At this stage of evaluation, a much higher proportion (55%) of businesses (from a sample of 87) outline that recruitment is either easy or very easy. At this stage, 11% considered recruitment of suitable staff to be difficult compared to 47% at baseline stage.

Respondents were asked to identify their approximate annual turnover in the last financial year. Many respondents at this stage opted to respond with ‘Don’t Know / Prefer not to say’ which makes it difficult to see whether any uplift has been realised post-scheme delivery. Figure 41 demonstrates a relatively even spread across various turnover bands which is broadly similar to that seen at baseline stage.

Figure 42 demonstrates that broadly no change in sales turnover has been witnessed over the last 12 months; however, a quarter of respondents identified that their sales turnover has increased over the last 12 months. At baseline stage, a similar question was asked with 60% of baseline survey respondents noting that turnover had increased; and the remaining 40% noting that it had decreased.

Respondents were asked to consider whether transport connections/availability in various forms provides either a competitive advantage or disadvantage for their business. Figure 43 demonstrates positive perceptions of public transport and highway connectivity for their businesses and that these provide a competitive advantage. Compared to the baseline, an improvement is demonstrated regarding the competitive advantage of public transport links to site, with those identifying this as a disadvantage reducing from 26% to 14%. At this stage respondents were also asked to consider whether having a direct rail connection offers a competitive advantage for their business (this was not asked at baseline stage). 53% of respondents (from a sample of 93) saw this as an advantage to their business.

Employees and their Travel

Number of Employees

Figure 44 shows that the businesses surveyed at this stage appear to mostly be small businesses with between two to five employees (representing 51% of the sample). Of the sample (91 businesses), 4% employ more than 50 people and 89% employ 10 or fewer people.

Employee Place of Work

Figures 45 and 46 show that from a sample of 93 businesses, 92% identified that all their employees work from their premises (as opposed to working from home or remotely) and 93% identified that none of their staff work on a hybrid basis. This suggests that there is commuting demand present with the majority of employees travelling to site every day.

Method of Travel to Work

Respondents were asked to identify, to the best of their knowledge, what percentage of employees use various methods of travel as their main mode to get to and from their place of work. Table 19 presents an average of percentage figures provided from 83 businesses for each mode of travel. Based on this data, 0% of employees from these businesses currently travel to work by rail, with car (75%) and walking/wheeling (23%) dominating mode choice for employees. This data suggests that rail is yet to become a preferred mode for commuter travel and that connectivity between the station and places of work/residence may not yet be efficient for commuters. The dominance of car travel suggests that behaviour change from the baseline position has not yet been achieved from a commuter perspective.

Table 19: Business Survey – Method of Travel to Work

Method of travel	Average percentage (%)
Car or other motor vehicle (such as a van)	75%
Rail	0%
Walk / Wheel	23%
Bus	1%
Motorcycle	0%
Cycle	1%
Other	0%
Base	83

Business Travel

Businesses were asked to identify whether their employees travelled in the course of work (business travel); for example, to meetings or to make deliveries. Figure 47 shows that of the 93 businesses surveyed, 42% travel for business purposes. This is comparable to the baseline survey (43% from a sample of 100 businesses).

Of those who indicated that travel on company business was part of their day-to-day activities, respondents were asked to identify the primary locations that their employees travel to. Table 20 presents the typical destinations for business travel and reveals broad alignment between the baseline and current stage. There is a notable reduction in the number of businesses travelling to the north of England; however, this is very much dependent on the businesses captured during each survey.

Table 20: Business Survey – Business Travel Destinations

Location	Baseline	2026
Scottish Borders	88%	87%
East Lothian	42%	46%
Midlothian	30%	31%
Edinburgh	47%	51%
West Lothian	N/A	23%
Other Scotland	35%	41%
North of England	74%	36%
Other UK	28%	15%
Overseas	5%	8%
Base	43	39

Respondents were then asked to identify on average, how often employees travel to and from these geographic areas in the course of their work. Table 21 shows that for those who travel to Scottish Borders settlements, the most recurrent journey frequency was over 20 times a month. For other destinations, on average employees are mostly travelling one to five times a month to parts of Scotland and less than once a month to other parts of the UK.

Table 21: Business Survey – Business Travel Frequency

Location	Less than once a month	1 to 5 times a month	6 to 10 times a month	11 to 20 times a month	Over 20 times a month	Base
Scottish Borders	12%	24%	18%	9%	36%	33
East Lothian	12%	47%	18%	6%	18%	17
Midlothian	18%	55%	9%	9%	9%	11
Edinburgh	21%	37%	32%	5%	5%	19
West Lothian	13%	63%	13%	-	13%	8
Other Scotland	27%	40%	20%	-	13%	15
North of England	23%	38%	8%	8%	23%	13
Other UK	60%	40%	-	-	-	5
Overseas	100%	-	-	-	-	3

Businesses who have employees undertaking business travel were also asked to identify the typical modes of travel used for such journeys. Table 22 shows that travel by car is the dominant mode (87%); however, rail is also used for this travel (6%).

Table 22: Business Survey – Modes used for business travel

Method of travel	%
Car or other motor vehicle (such as a van)	87%
Rail	6%
Walk / Wheel	0%
Bus	3%
Motorcycle	0%
Cycle	0%
Other	5%
Base	38

Reston Railway Station

The following sections explore the baseline and current survey responses regarding the expected and observed impacts of Reston Railway Station. Where similar questioning has been undertaken, a like for like comparison between forecasts and post scheme findings have been undertaken.

Proximity to Reston Railway Station

Respondents were asked to identify the nearest rail station to their business. At baseline stage a similar question was asked to determine whether the station would be closest once open. Figure 48 shows that of the 95 businesses surveyed, 67% identified that Reston is their closest rail station. This suggests that rail should be a viable transport choice for accessing these businesses.

Impact on Business Location

Figure 49 shows that for many businesses, the introduction of the station had very little impact on their chosen location. As shown earlier, many of the businesses surveyed are long standing and have been located in their current position for 10 years or more. Their location therefore pre-dates plans for the station, hence why 98% state that the introduction of the station was not a factor in locating the business/organisation.

Impact on Work Related Travel

Respondents were also asked to identify the impact of the new station on employee use of rail for work-related travel. Figure 50 shows that a significant proportion of respondents (89%) identified that the station has had no change. This aligns with earlier findings that show rail is not used for commuting travel and represents on average 6% of business travel. 8% of businesses have seen an increase in work-related travel as a result of the station opening (up to 10% increase in travel).

Changes to Business Operations

Respondents were asked to consider changes to business operations that have taken place as a result of Reston Railway Station opening. Table 23 shows that in terms of customer type, opening hours and trade timings/patterns, businesses do not consider any changes to be as a result of the opening of Reston Railway Station.

Table 23: Business Survey – Changes to business operations

Changes	Yes	No	Don't know	Base
A change in the type of customers for your business / organisation (for example, commuters, tourists, residents)	7%	85%	7%	95
A change to the opening hours of your business / organisation	-	94%	6%	95
A change in the timing or pattern of your trade related to train arrivals / departures	-	93%	7%	95

Reston Railway Station Impacts

Respondents were asked to consider the impact of opening Reston Railway Station on their business by specifying to what extent they agree or disagree within a number of statements. Figure 51 outlines that the majority of the respondents disagreed with the identified impacts suggesting that the station’s introduction has not impacted businesses as positively as first anticipated. A summary of the disagreement is presented below:

• More staff are required – 78% disagree
• Allows local businesses to expand – 72% disagree
• Allows for services and products to be supplied to a wider area – 63% disagree
• Reduces the reliance on local customers – 78% disagree
• Allows use of suppliers from different areas – 66% disagree
• Allows customer bases to be expanded – 57% disagree
• Allows better skilled staff to be recruited – 57% disagree
• Makes it easier to recruit staff – 55% disagree
• Means more reliable staff travel times – 59% disagree

Respondents were asked whether the opening of Reston Railway Station has impacted the following measures:

• The level of investment in their business (this was defined as either capital investment or investment in people with the aim of growing or developing the business). A significant proportion of businesses outlined that the station has led to no change in this respect (98%).
• The actual impact of the opening of Reston Railway Station in terms of turnover. 89% of businesses outlined that the station has had no impact and 10% outlined that some degree of positive impact has been realised.
• An estimate of the actual impact of the opening of Reston Railway Station in terms of customer base. 92% of businesses outlined that the station has had no impact. 8% outlined a low positive impact.
• An estimate of the actual impact of the opening of Reston Railway Station in terms of employment levels. 97% of businesses outlined that the station has had no impact. 3% outlined some degree of positive impact.

Respondents were then asked to consider what overall impact the scheme has had on their business since opening. Figure 52 demonstrates that 13% of businesses thought the scheme had a positive impact, 87% considered the station to have no impact on their business and no respondents saw the station as having a negative impact.

Open Comments

As part of the business survey respondents were also encouraged to provide any additional open comments regarding Reston Railway Station and its impact on their business. These comments have been collated into themes in Table 24 below:

Table 24: Business Survey – Open Comments

Theme	Summary of Responses
Limited service frequency and reliability	The most common issue is too few trains stopping at Reston and poor timetable coverage, particularly for commuting. Reports of unreliable services, cancellations, and passengers being diverted to Berwick. Train capacity (short trains) and timing also raised.
Poor onward connectivity	Widespread concern about weak bus links and lack of integration with train times. Limited or no last-mile options (e.g. taxis, shuttle buses). As a result, most users still rely on car access, reducing the station’s usefulness.
Limited business impact	Many respondents reported no measurable impact on their business operations. Staff and customers continue to travel by car, especially where sites are remote or industrial. Some note missed opportunities for recruitment due to poor service connectivity.
Location and accessibility issues	The station is often considered too far from businesses (10–20 miles). Some believe it is poorly sited or too close to Berwick, limiting its catchment. Alternative stations (Berwick, Dunbar, Tweedbank) are often preferred.
Car dependency remains dominant	Businesses (especially in agriculture, logistics, and retail) cannot substitute road transport. Lack of freight options reinforces reliance on road haulage.
Mixed but generally modest positive perceptions	Positive comments highlight: Improved access to Edinburgh Free parking General benefit as a local amenity However, these benefits are often personal or community-level, not business-related.
Potential for future benefits (conditional)	Some see long-term potential to: Attract visitors Support inward investment Expand labour catchments Realisation depends on better services and connections.
Perception of underperformance / value concerns	Several respondents describe the station as a “white elephant” or underused asset. Concerns that investment has not translated into tangible benefits.

Summary of Findings

The Business Survey suggests that the reopening of Reston Railway Station has not had a material impact on business performance locally with many conditions remaining unchanged despite the opening of the station.

Most businesses operate within a localised market and are relatively small in scale, limiting their reliance on rail transport for day‑to‑day activities. While overall business sentiment and trading conditions have improved since baseline, transport (particularly rail) has not been identified as a primary driver of performance, with market trends and competition remaining more influential.

Nevertheless, the station appears to have contributed to improved perceptions of accessibility and reduced remoteness, reflected in improved recruitment conditions and a majority of businesses recognising rail connectivity as a competitive advantage. Direct impacts on turnover and operational behaviour remain unclear, indicating that the economic benefits of the station are still emerging and may develop over time.

Visitor Survey

Introduction

The visitor survey was undertaken to evaluate any changes in tourism activity and travel behaviour for visitors to the area as a result of scheme delivery. Information was gathered on attitudes in light of the new rail station that has been introduced at Reston.

At baseline stage the following objectives were set for the visitor survey:

These objectives required the development of a structured questionnaire that repeats a number of baseline questions, whilst exploring wider behavioural and attitudinal issues.

Methodology

Target Area

The study area adopted at baseline stage was replicated for this Stage 1 evaluation. This captures visitors to East Berwickshire from the Local Authority areas of the Scottish Borders, Edinburgh City and each of East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian.

Survey Material

The visitor survey was developed by Jacobs, IBP and Transport Scotland to expand upon the baseline survey whilst enabling direct comparisons to be made pre and post scheme delivery. This was developed as a concise survey focused on travel habits for visits to East Berwickshire. The final survey is presented within Appendix A.

The issues explored in the baseline and revisited at this stage were:

• Frequency, duration and purpose of visits to East Berwickshire
• Preferred mode of travel
• Familiarity with the Reston Railway Station scheme
• Impact of Reston Railway Station scheme

Survey Delivery

At the baseline stage, it was decided that due to a lack of major tourist attractions in the immediate survey area, an online panel would be utilised (rather than telephone or face-to-face interviewing).

The area was defined as “East Berwickshire” within the map shown in Figure 53 below being provided for guidance purposes:

The online panels were programmed to capture visitors from nearby areas of the Scottish Borders, West Lothian, Midlothian, East Lothian, and Edinburgh. This panel based approach allowed a wider target of participants from an expanded geographical area to take part in the survey. Panels of this type are open to anyone to participate in and were targeted to the above mentioned areas for the purpose of this study, to remain consistent with the baseline study.

The baseline survey, though termed a “visitor survey” was also designed to capture a number of “non-visitors”, the purpose being to establish reasons for non-visit. There were a total of 102 responses to this panel survey of whom 78 were visitors and 24 “non-visitors”.

The baseline approach was replicated for the Phase 1 evaluation survey, which was conducted via the ScotPulse panel, which is Scotland’s largest online research panel. This process secured an achieved sample of 354 responses overall. Of these, 133 had previously visited the area concerned, of whom 102 had visited within the previous year.

Comparison to Baseline Survey

The baseline visitor survey applied age weighting relative to National Records of Scotland population estimates for relevant Local Authority areas. Review of the original methodology suggests that the relationship between the survey catchment areas and these wider population geographies was an indirect one and, in this particular instance, weighted survey responses to average age figures across the 5 Local Authority areas from where responses were sourced. Weighting was not applied in relation to other demographic or contextual variables.

Sensitivity analysis suggests that age weighting had limited impact on overall findings and broad trends.

Accordingly, unweighted data has been used for primary comparative analysis in order to maintain consistency between the baseline and evaluation datasets. Any relevant considerations or limitations relating to comparability are noted throughout the report.

Research Limitations

Visitor surveys of this nature provide a valuable indication of travel behaviour, visitor patterns and perceptions; however, they are subject to a number of practical limitations. The achieved sample reflects those panel members willing to participate during the fieldwork period. The survey also relies on self-reported information relating to journey purpose, expenditure and transport choices, which may be subject to estimation or recall inaccuracies. In addition, while the survey can identify associations between visitor activity and the presence of the railway station, it is more difficult to isolate the specific influence of the station from wider tourism, economic or destination-related factors.

Data & Analysis

Respondent Profile

In total, 354 respondents took part in the ScotPulse survey, of which 38% identified as visitors to East Berwickshire. A respondent profile is presented below in terms of place of residence, age, gender, household makeup, social grade, access to a vehicle and annual income.

Place of Residence

Respondents to the survey were asked to provide the local authority within which they reside. Figure 54 shows that responses align very closely with the profile for the baseline survey, with a larger proportion of respondents residing in Edinburgh but with good representation from other neighbouring authorities too.

Age Profile

Representation from all age groups was achieved for both survey stages. Figure 55 shows that during the baseline stage, 55% of respondents were from the 16-44 age backet; however, at Stage 1 the largest group of respondents are aged between 45-64 years of age.

Gender

Figure 56 shows that at the current stage of evaluation, a greater proportion of respondents are male (62%). Contrastingly, at the baseline stage the majority of respondents were female (56%).

Household Composition

Respondents were asked to outline their household size. Figure 57 shows that the most common household size was a two-person household (40%), although 42% lived in a household of greater size than this. Of these households, 75% of them did not have children.

Social Grade

Respondents were asked to identify their social grade. These include:

• A: Higher Managerial, Administrative & Professional (Examples: CEO, doctor, senior solicitor, or director of a large company).
• B: Intermediate Managerial, Administrative & Professional (Examples: Middle manager, teacher, scientist, or IT professional).
• C1: Supervisory, Clerical & Junior Managerial (Examples: Office clerk, junior manager, or supervisor).
• C2: Skilled Manual Workers (Examples: Plumber, electrician, or carpenter).
• D: Semi-skilled & Unskilled Manual Workers (Examples: Factory worker, cleaner, or care assistant).
• E: State Pensioners, Unemployed & Lowest Grade Workers (Examples: Casual labourers and those reliant solely on state benefits).

Figure 58 shows that 65% of respondents classified themselves as being within social grades A, B or C1.

Access to a Car

Figure 59 shows that a large proportion of respondents declared that they have full access to a car (73%) which is greater than the proportion at baseline stage. 16% of respondents had no access to a car.

Personal Annual Income

Different income bands were used for the baseline and stage 1 surveys. However, Table 25 shows that there appears to be a similar profile of income amongst wage bands with the majority of respondents earing between £20-40k at baseline stage and Stage 1.

Table 25: Visitor Survey – Personal Annual Income

Baseline Income Band	Baseline %	2026 Income Band	2026 %
Less than £10,000	5%	Under £20,000	20%
£10,001 to £20,000	26%	Under £20,000	20%
£20,001 to £30,000	24%	£20,000 to £39,999	33%
£30,001 to £40,000	9%	£20,000 to £39,999	33%
£40,001 - £50,000	14%	£40,000 to £59,999	21%
£50,001 - £60,000	7%	£40,000 to £59,999	21%
Over £60,000	12%	£60,000 to £79,999	7%
Over £60,000	12%	£80,000 to £99,999	5%
Over £60,000	12%	More than £100,000	3%
Don't know	0%	Don't know	0%
Prefer not to say	4%	Prefer not to say	12%
Base	102	Base	354

Travel to East Berwickshire

Respondents were asked to confirm whether they have visited East Berwickshire in the last two years. Figure 60 shows that there is a disparity between responses at baseline and stage 1. At baseline stage, a significant proportion of respondents had recently visited East Berwickshire (76%). However, at the most recent stage, 62% had not visited East Berwickshire in the last two years.

Visitors

Figure 61 shows that of those who had visited East Berwickshire in the last two years, very few visited as frequently as daily, weekly or monthly. 89% of respondents visited East Berwickshire every few months or less, with 46% travelling once per year or less often than once per year.

Respondents who had visited East Berwickshire in the past were asked what the main attractions were that brought them to the area. Figure 62 shows that 65% of respondents outlined that they visited East Berwickshire for the beaches; and 52% said they did so to visit historic sites.

Figure 63 shows that mostly these trips are day trips with (81% of respondents); however, there is a small proportion who stay overnight or stay for longer periods when visiting.

Respondents were asked to consider what modes of travel they would use to reach East Berwickshire. Table 26 shows that at baseline stage, cars represented the preferred mode of travel (77%). At this stage, this has increased to 93%, suggesting that car dominance in terms of mode choice remains.

Table 26: Visitor Survey – Visitor Preferred Modes

Method of travel	Baseline	2026
Drive / travel in the car	77%	93%
Bus	0%	1%
Coach tour	0%	1%
Cycle	0%	0%
Train	0%	1%
Taxi	0%	0%
Train and taxi	5%	0%
Train and bus	17%	3%
Walk / wheel	0%	0%
Other	1%	1%
Don't know	0%	0%
Base	73	102

Visitors to East Berwickshire were asked to consider their typical spend when visiting. Comparing responses at baseline and stage 1, Figure 64 shows that a very similar profile can be seen with typically between £21-£50 being spent by visitors.

Non-Visitors

Non-visitors represented 62% of the sample. These non-visitors were asked to consider a number of reasons as to why they do not currently visit. Table 27 shows that at baseline stage, this represented a much smaller proportion of the total sample, however, amongst these the main reasons were:

• Being without access to a vehicle
• Not having a direct rail connection
• Respondents having not got around to visiting
• Being unsure what the area has to offer.
• Having never considered visiting

At stage 1, the reasons for not visiting remain fairly consistent, with 37% outlining that they haven’t got round to visiting just yet. Interestingly the proportion who do not have a direct rail link to East Berwickshire has fallen to 11%, which can be seen as a direct impact of Reston Railway Station opening.

Table 27: Visitor Survey – Reasons for Not Visiting

Reasons	Baseline	2026
Don't have access to my own vehicle	21%	11%
Do not like driving long distances or a place I have not travelled to before	3%	8%
No direct rail link to East Berwickshire	19%	11%
Don't like travelling by rail	N/A	0%
Don't like travelling on the bus or coach	9%	5%
I have not got round to visiting East Berwickshire	21%	37%
Nothing interests me in East Berwickshire	11%	29%
My health restricts my ability to travel	3%	5%
Have never considered	18%	N/A
Unsure what the area has to offer	31%	N/A
Other	N/A	13%
Don't know	20%	14%
Base	24	221

Non-visitors were also asked to consider what mode of travel they would use if they were to travel to East Berwickshire. Table 28 shows that 16% of current non-visitors would consider travelling by train, and a further 10% would combine either train and bus or train and taxi. Despite this, car travel would still dominate, with 60% identifying this as their preferred mode.

Table 28: Visitor Survey – Non-Visitor Preferred Modes

Method of travel	2026
Drive / travel in the car	60%
Bus	3%
Coach tour	2%
Cycle	0%
Train	16%
Taxi	0%
Train and taxi	2%
Train and bus	8%
Walk / wheel	0%
Other	0%
Don't know	8%
Base	220

Reston Railway Station

The final section of the visitor survey sought to understand the impact of Reston Railway Station and whether it is now a viable transport choice for visitor travel. Respondents were asked to identify whether they were familiar with Reston Railway Station prior to completing the survey. Figure 65 shows that many respondents (78%) are still not familiar with the station and its services. It is also apparent that 56% of visitors who have travelled to East Berwickshire within the last year are not familiar with the station. This suggests there is latent demand still yet to be reached who could benefit from using the station for visitor-based travel.

Respondents were also asked whether the opening of the station has had any impact on their frequency and duration of visits to East Berwickshire and whether it has made them consider using rail for these journeys. Table 29 shows that in all cases, over 90% of respondents stated that the opening of the scheme is unlikely to change their current travel behaviours/patterns.

Table 29: Visitor Survey – Impacts of Reston Railway Station

Behaviour	Increased	Decreased	No change	Don't know	Base
The frequency of your visits to East Berwickshire	0%	1%	92%	6%	79
The duration of your visits to East Berwickshire	0%	3%	92%	5%	79
Your use of rail as a method of travel to East Berwickshire	1%	1%	94%	4%	79

Finally, respondents were asked whether the scheme has increased the likelihood of them visiting East Berwickshire. Figure 66 shows that respondents mostly stated the scheme has not instigated any change (over 70%). However, around 30% of respondents did state that the introduction of the station has made it more likely for them to visit East Berwickshire.

Summary of Findings

The Visitor Survey indicates that Reston Railway Station is beginning to support increased accessibility to the area and has the potential to encourage tourism and leisure trips, although impacts remain modest at this stage.

The station has improved awareness of Reston as a destination and enabled some additional visitor trips, particularly from locations connected via the East Coast Main Line such as Edinburgh and Newcastle. However, as with residents, car travel remains dominant for many journeys, and rail use is primarily associated with longer-distance leisure trips.

Key constraints limiting stronger visitor impacts include service frequency, limited timetable flexibility and weak integration with onward transport options.

Overall, the findings suggest that the station is contributing to incremental growth in visitor activity and offers clear potential to support the local visitor economy, but that its influence is still developing and dependent on improvements to service provision and connectivity.