Border Counties Railway - ECML diversions?

[Iskra]

Before closure in 1956 the Border Counties Railway offered a second route from Newcastle to Edinburgh via Riccarton Junction, although on timetabled trains this would take around 5 hours, so not remotely competitive in terms of time. However, can anyone clarify whether this route would have ever carried any diverted ECML services? Or alternatively, did it take freight trains off that route to speed up passenger trains on the ECML? Or was it simply a (very) rural branchline with a sparse service?

 

[30907]

This thread references the August 1948 floods which seriously damaged the ECML north of the Border. Trains were initially diverted via the Waverley and S and C routes, and after a week via Tweedmouth-St Boswells; there's no reference to the BCR so I would guess the answer is negative.
https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...-disaster-diversions-75th-anniversary.243871/
As to freight, I've not heard that Newcastle-Edinburgh was congested by heavy freight traffic.
Others may know better, of course.

 

[Iskra]

This thread references the August 1948 floods which seriously damaged the ECML north of the Border. Trains were initially diverted via the Waverley and S and C routes, and after a week via Tweedmouth-St Boswells; there's no reference to the BCR so I would guess the answer is negative.
https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...-disaster-diversions-75th-anniversary.243871/
As to freight, I've not heard that Newcastle-Edinburgh was congested by heavy freight traffic.
Others may know better, of course.

Thank you, this is pretty much as I expected