The
temporary
removal


of
peak
fares
on
ScotRail
showed
a
‘limited
degree
of
success‘,
according
to
a
report
published
by
Transport
Scotland
today.

The
pilot
began
on
2
October
2023,
and
is
due
to
end
on
27
September
this
year.
The
Scottish
Government
subsidised
the
temporary
removal
of
peak
fares
to
encourage
modal
shift
from
private
car
to
rail
while
making
rail
travel
more
affordable
and
accessible
over
the
pilot
period.
The
cost
of
the
full
year
subsidy
was
approximately
£40
million.

The
success
of
the
pilot
has
been
measured
through
the
analysis
published
today,
which
uses
daily
patronage
data
from
April
2022
to
the
start
of
July
this
year,
covering
a
period
before
the
pilot
and
nine
months
of
the
test
period.

This
analysis
shows
that
while
there
has
been
a
limited
increase
in
the
number
of
passengers
during
the
pilot,
it
did
not
achieve
its
aims
of
encouraging
a
significant
modal
shift.

The
Scottish
Government
said
it
was
now
bringing
the
pilot
to
an
end
next
month
because
it
was
facing
‘financial
challenges‘.

Transport
secretary
Fiona
Hyslop
said:
‘The
pilot
primarily
benefited
existing
train
passengers
and
those
with
medium
to
higher
incomes.
Although
passenger
levels
increased
to
a
maximum
of
around
6.8
per
cent,
it
would
require
a
10
per
cent
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.

‘I
am
aware,
however,
that
a
significant
minority
of
people
who
cannot
choose
when
they
travel
to
and
from
work
did
and
would
benefit
from
lower
priced
rail
travel
–
these
are
people
who
might
find
the
return
to
peak
fares
challenging.

‘I
can
therefore
announce
the
introduction
of
a
12-month
discount
on
all
ScotRail
season
tickets
and
permanently
amending
the
terms
of
flexipasses
to
allow
for
12
single
journeys
for
the
price
of
10,
used
within
60
days,
equivalent
to
a
20
per
cent
discount
for
those
who
travel
less
frequently.
Super
off-peak
tickets
will
also
be
reintroduced.

‘The
Scottish
Government
would
be
open
to
consider
future
subsidy
to
remove
peak
fares
should
UK
budget
allocations
to
the
Scottish
Government
improve
in
future
years.’