Scotland’s peak fares pilot: what happens now?

The Scottish government has called time on its pilot scheme to abolish peak rail fares, and it has no plans to revise its decision. But the calls for making public transport more affordable and accessible continue to grow…

Commuters have to pay attention these days - or they could be in for a nasty surprise. In the first week of October 2024, the price of a peak-time commute between Glasgow and Edinburgh rose from £16.20 to £31.40 - a 94% increase. That week marked the end of the year-long peak fares removal pilot on ScotRail. In the autumn of 2023, the Scottish government had announced that it was testing the water with a six-month trial that could result in the permanent scrapping of peak fares. Rail unions, backed by transport and environmental campaigners, had originally proposed the measure, arguing that peak fares amounted to a “tax on workers” that would inhibit rail’s post-COVID recovery. A year on (Scottish ministers had kicked the can down the line with two…

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RAIL (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 1027

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