Peak rail fares in Scotland will return from next month after the Scottish Government confirmed it will end its pilot scheme.
The policy was brought in on ScotRail services in October last year by then-first minister Humza Yousaf in a bid to make transport more affordable while lowering emissions.
The end of the pilot scheme means that a peak return ticket from Glasgow to Edinburgh will nearly double to around £31.40 while a train from Glasgow to Dundee will cost £47.80.
Scotland’s transport secretary said the programme, which saved some commuters thousands of pounds, costs the Government around £40m a year.
Fiona Hyslop said while the pilot saw a “limited increase” in passenger numbers throughout the last 12 months “it did not achieve its aims of encouraging a significant modal shift from car to rail”.
She said: “In light of the financial challenges facing the Scottish Government and the level of additional and continuing subsidy that would be required to continue the pilot versus its contribution towards tackling climate change with modal shift from car and tackling child poverty which are key Scottish Government missions, the pilot will end on September 27.
“The pilot primarily benefitted existing train passengers and those with medium to higher incomes and although passenger levels increased to a maximum of around 6.8%, it would require a 10% increase in passenger numbers for the policy to be self-financing.
“The pilot will have been welcome in saving many passengers hundreds and in some cases thousands of pounds during the cost of living crisis but this level of subsidy cannot continue in the current financial climate on that measure alone.”
ScotRail, which was nationalised in 2022, said it will discount all season tickets by 20% for 12 months from September 28. And it said the number of journeys offered on its Flexipass tickets will increase from ten to 12 while super-off peak fares will also return.
Jim Baxter, Aslef executive council member said: “We are really angry and beyond disappointed. This is a disaster for workers, the economy and the environment
“Incentivising people to make the shift from road to rail travel will take years. If Scotland is to meet its climate targets it has to invest in transport and make fares affordable. This will take money out the pockets of workers, encouraging many back into cars.
“We need a government that invests in transport in the long term and looks after the environment and the economy – rather than one that jumps from one half-baked plan to another with no long term strategy.”
Scottish Conservative MSP Graham Simpson said the Government announcement was “bad news for hard-pressed rail passengers”.
“Simplifying and lowering fares helps people afford to use the trains,” he added. “It was the right thing to do.
“Introducing confusing season ticket and multi-ticket deals is no compensation for removing something that should have been made permanent.
“The Scottish Government should have done far more to promote the peak fare removal. In the end, it should never have been mere numbers but having a rail system and fare system that is fair and affordable. We have gone backwards.”
Scottish Greens MSP Mark Ruskell said: “This is deeply disappointing. It is a hammer blow to the many workers all over Scotland who have to travel every day but have no say on when they need to be at work.
“Ending peak rail fares is something that the Scottish Greens pushed hard for alongside rail workers unions and anti-poverty campaigners, and I know many will be angry to see the SNP bringing them back like this.
“By reducing fares we were able to support hundreds of thousands of commuters through the cost of living crisis while encouraging them to leave their cars at home. A lot of workers and their families saved hundreds of pounds.
“Behavioural change doesn’t happen overnight and by making the move permanent we could have encouraged more people to change the way they travel.”
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