Rail fares will be cheaper from next month in pilot scheme
Rail fares in Scotland will become cheaper from 2 October in a six month long pilot scheme removing peak fares.
Instead all rail tickets will be available at cheaper off peak prices all day.
Examples of the reduced fares include:
- Edinburgh to Glasgow return will reduce from £28.90 to £14.90
- Edinburgh to Inverkeithing single will reduce from £11.10 to £6.50.
Other schemes such as the Scotrail Kids for a Quid offer which runs year round will remain in place.
Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop told The Scottish Parliament that the Programme for Government clarified the government’s aim to help people in Scotland move towards sustainable transport. She said:”We know that there is much to be done in encouraging people back to rail if we are to achieve our net zero targets.
“This peak fare removal pilot is aimed at achieving this by making ticketing simpler with off-peak fares valid all day. This is an exciting and unique opportunity to encourage more people to choose a safe, reliable, and greener form of public transport.”
The plan was announced by Humza Yousaf in his first speech to The Scottish Parliament on 18 April 2023. He said then: “We will also make our public transport system more accessible, we’ll make it more available, we’ll make it more affordable. As an important part of that, I can confirm today that the 6-month pilot to remove peak-time fares from Scotrail services will start in October of this year. The evidence from this pilot – and our wider Fair Fares review – will allow us to bring forward further targeted measures, from next year onwards, to ensure that the costs of transport are more fairly shared.”
Alex Hynes, Scotland’s Railway Managing Director, said: “This is a hugely exciting opportunity for Scotland’s Railway to encourage more people across the country to choose rail travel instead of using the car.
“Everyone at ScotRail is working hard to make sure that this six-month trial will be a success, and we will be monitoring our services and stations daily to see where we have any significant increases in customer journeys.
“We know that cost and simplicity is a critical factor for people when they choose how to travel, and we are looking forward to delivering this fantastic fare reduction for our customers.”
The impact of the pilot will be assessed before committing to any reinstatement of the scheme after 29 March 2024.
