SCOTS commuters face shelling out for some of Europe’s most expensive rail fares when rush-hour discounts are ditched this week, we can reveal.
Campaigners last night pleaded with transport chiefs to rethink the “shameful” peak-time price hikes.
4
4
4
4
They warned that rail customers already tired of delays and cancellations will turn their back on the network when the £40million reduced-fares scheme is withdrawn from Saturday.
It means the cost of a Glasgow-Edinburgh rush-hour return ticket will almost double from £16.20 to £31.40 — soaring above public transport rates on the continent.
That’s a fiver more than Germans pay for the 65-mile trip between Leipzig and Dresden at peak times.
Cheaper train journeys are also available in Italy, where a 78-mile return between Milan and Turin is just £24.50.
And the 39-mile Stockholm-Uppsala line in Sweden is a relative both-ways bargain at £15.63.
Nats have claimed the subsidised discount initiative failed to persuade enough commuters to abandon their motors and instead head to and from work by train.
But they lost a non-binding Holyrood vote calling for the move to be reversed.
And Conservatives’ shadow transport minister Graham Simpson said: “It is shameful that the SNP are ploughing ahead with these fare hikes despite being defeated at Holyrood.
“The SNP claim they are serious about getting more people out of their cars and on to public transport.
“This backward decision does the exact opposite. It’s wrong that workers are being asked to pick up the tab for the SNP’s mismanagement of Scotland’s finances.”
Disgruntled passengers have endured frustration all summer over reduced services due to an emergency timetable imposed amid a dispute over drivers’ pay.
Passenger group Railfuture Scotland warned ‘walk-up’ fares could now become more expensive than elsewhere on the continent — with advance fares the best way to claw back cash.
Secretary Jane Ann Liston said: “It is disappointing that the increased take-up of passengers wasn’t as great as anticipated.
“The emergency timetable with its reduced level of service may have deterred people from travelling by train.
“We hope ScotRail will continue to look for ways to make rail travel more affordable.”
Holyrood agency Transport Scotland revealed passenger numbers needed to increase by ten per cent for the pilot scheme to be viable permanently — but in reality they only edged up by 6.8 per cent.
Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop told how it mainly benefited long-time train passengers plus “those with medium to higher incomes”.
But Scottish Labour accused Nats of “taking money out of workers’ pockets”.
Transport spokesman Alex Rowley said: “The reckless decision to hike fares will push people back into cars.
“This important scheme was undermined by SNP incompetence at every turn, from service cuts to a lack of advertising.
“Scotland needs a reliable, affordable rail service that helps us grow our economy, cut our emissions and connect our communities.
“The SNP must reconsider these misguided plans and pledge to cut sky-high rail fares.”
Scottish Lib Dems opposite number Daniel O’Malley claimed Nats have “lost the trust of passengers paying premium prices for a sparse service.”
The MSP insisted: “People need flexible and affordable tickets, not endless price hikes.
“Ministers are now directly responsible for the trains but seem to have lost all sense of direction.”
Trade unions and environmental groups last week wrote a joint letter to Ms Hyslop urging her to U-turn on rush-hour pricing.
The STUC said ending the discounts made a “mockery” of ministers’ sustainable travel goals.
Deputy General Secretary Dave Moxham said: “Ending an ultimately successful trial of removing peak rail fares shows a clear lack of foresight.”
Scottish Greens also blasted their former coalition partners’ for tossing away one of their key initiatives.
MSP Mark Ruskell said: “Scrapping of peak rail fares has been a huge success since Scottish Greens brought it in a year ago.
“Commuters have been making significant savings, allowing them to leave their cars at home.
“That means less congestion and air pollution in our cities, safer streets, and lower climate emissions. To reintroduce peak fares now is a step in the wrong direction.”
Publicly owned ScotRail has revealed that its ageing Intercity fleet will be replaced.
But its recent temporary timetable has meant 530 fewer services per day than in 2019 while 5,774 trains were cancelled between April and July.
The company said season ticket costs are being reduced by 20 per cent while passengers can get Flexipasses offering 12 journeys for the price of 10.
Hailing the move, commercial director Claire Dickie said: “This is great news for our regular travellers, whether they commute daily or travel a bit less frequently. Travelling by train remains one of the easiest ways to get around Scotland. We will continue to do all we can to deliver value for money for our customers.”
Transport Scotland admitted the rush-hour scheme axe was “disappointing” for customers but insisted passenger numbers were up 75 per cent, from 46.7 million in 2021/22 to around 82 million in 2023/24.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
A spokesman said: “The Scottish Government would be open to consider future subsidy to remove peak fares should UK budget allocations improve in future years.
“There is no doubt this has been a challenging period for rail travel but ministers are hopeful that services can get back to normal soon and Scotland’s Railway continues to grow.”
