A SIX-MONTH trial scrapping peak ScotRail fares to encourage people to travel by train instead of car will launch next week.
The Scottish Government-funded project will allow customers to travel all day on off-peak fares from Monday October 2 until the end of March 2024.
ScotRail said the trial will see huge savings across the country, with fares on the main route between Edinburgh and Glasgow coming down from £28.90 to £14.90.
READ MORE: Could free public transport be a part of Scotland's future?
The fare from Perth to Dundee will drop from £14.40 to £9.90 and the ticket price from Glasgow to Stirling will fall from £16.10 to £9.60.
The nationalised rail operator said the project, said to be the first of its kind in the UK rail industry, will support the Scottish Government’s ambition to achieve net-zero, providing more people with the opportunity to use trains as their primary form of transport.
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.
READ MORE: Scotrail price increase to hike ticket fares amid cost of living crisis
“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.”
First Minister Humza Yousaf previously said the Government has budgeted “around £15 million” for the six-month pilot.
There are some routes where no off-peak fare exists
This is because the same price is available at any time of the day, and as such customers will not see any change in those areas.
ScotRail said the pandemic resulted in a radical change in the commuter market, with a significant drop in the number of people travelling by train during the traditional peak times.
That market is only 70% of what it was before Covid.
From the week starting September 18, customers can check the ScotRail website or app to see off-peak fares for their route during the six-month period.
The company expects some trains will be busier during the pilot and will be monitoring services daily.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel