Vandals target Whitrope Heritage Railway line
Chris Donnelly, from the Whitrope Heritage Railway.
The Whitrope Heritage Centre, which operates on a reconstructed part of the old Waverley route, has fallen victim to a spate of vandalism and break-ins.
The site, south of Hawick, showcases a vast selection of old railway relics from the Waverley Route and other Borders’ railways, and has been closed since the pandemic hit the UK.
The damage caused by vandals has proved so costly that the volunteer-run site has had to cancel plans to fully reopen for visitors this month.
Chris Donnelly, from the Whitrope Heritage Railway, said windows of the old carriages have been smashed, the door of the exhibition has been kicked in, trains have been broken into and people have been spotted climbing on top of them.
He said: "Railways, even when no trains are running, can be very dangerous places with lots of track-work and points that you can trip over.
"If you're on a railway you need to have the proper safety equipment and we would ask people just to respect that and hopefully we will be able to welcome them back soon when we are open."