A CAMPAIGN to extend the Borders Railway from Scotland to Cumbria has been given further backing - after members voted to continue pressing ahead with their case.

The vote was taken at the Campaign for Borders Rail AGM, which was held in Hawick at the weekend.

Colin Glover, leader of Carlisle City Council, was one of those who was invited to attend.

He said that extending the line from its current terminus at Tweedbank - with a potential new station in Longtown - would help to improve rail resilience in the Borders region.

"It's not just about passenger trains, because there will be freight using the line as well," Mr Glover told the News & Star. "If the line is extended then it will help to improve rail resilience because we'll have that alternative link.

"We've already seen that, when the Carlisle to Settle has been able to support the West Coast Main Line."

"A new cross-border link would also be able to increase rail capacity. The Borderlands area employs about 5,000 people working in forestry so it's key for that particular industry."

Mr Glover was part of a four-person panel, along with Alex Hynes, managing director of ScotRail, Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire and Watson McAteer, Hawick Provost.

About 90 members of the campaign group were able to ask questions as part of a debate.

Mr Glover added: "Alex Hynes, from ScotRail was very supportive of the proposals, which was a big positive. It's important for things like this that there is support on both sides of the border.

"Carlisle is probably the regional capital for the Borderlands area and extending the rail link will be able to help open up what is very much a growing city.

"I'm aware of the social exclusion in the Borders area, too, and extending the Borders Railway will play a big part in tackling that aspect of life for people."

There had been discussions of potentially extending the railway, which reopened in September 2015, from Tweedbank to Hawick. It would then be followed by a second extension from Hawick to Carlisle.

But Mr Glover added: "Everyone seems very keen to extend it all the way from Tweedbank to Carlisle rather than on to Hawick and then to Carlisle, which is very welcome.

"It would mean that we wouldn't have to start the campaign all over again."