Peak rail fares are back

The government’s decision to reintroduce peak rail fares has been met with criticism.

Transport Scotland reported that to subsidise the scheme had cost £40 million over a full year, but the consensus was that it had not been a success in moving passengers out of their cars.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop said that there would have to be a 10% increase in passenger numbers before it could be declared self-financing. But Scottish Labour said that peak time travel had risen by 40% over the same period in the previous year. The party explained that it was due to SNP “incompetence” at running the railways which made this pilot unsuccessful. Labour also pointed out that the government had not advertised the price cut as they were concerned about the risk of overcrowding on the trains.

Scottish Labour Net Zero spokesperson Sarah Boyack said “This is another blow to the SNP’s senseless decision to hike rail fares for working people.

“This pilot was a rare success story from an SNP government typically mired in chaos and failure.

“This scheme has been sabotaged by SNP incompetence at every turn, but peak-time passenger numbers have still soared.

“It’s clear eye-watering rail fares have forced people off of peak-time trains – and now thousands of Scots are at risk of once again being priced out of their daily commute, forced back into cars and stuck in traffic jams.

“The SNP is already ditching its climate targets, and now it is rowing back on measures that would help us get back on track.

“Scotland deserves affordable, reliable, green rail services – but the SNP appears to have given up on rail and abandoned climate leadership.”