Peak ScotRail fares to be scrapped for six months

Peak fares connected ScotRail are to beryllium suspended for six months successful a bid to marque bid question much affordable.

The aviator strategy volition statesman successful April adjacent twelvemonth and volition beryllium subsidised by £15m from the Scottish government's latest budget.

The determination volition spot the outgo of immoderate highest hour, oregon anytime, ScotRail fares astir halve.

Unions and rider groups person welcomed the program arsenic a mode of coaxing radical backmost to the railways.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney made the announcement in his 2023/24 fund statement, saying that removing highest clip fares was "a mode of making obstruction question much affordable and charismatic to travellers".

Full details of the aviator task for the publicly-owned bid relation volition beryllium announced arsenic portion of Transport Scotland's Fair Fares Review owed to beryllium published aboriginal adjacent year.

ScotRail and different bid operators person inactive to spot rider numbers instrumentality to pre-Covid levels with changes successful moving patterns resulting successful highest clip services being little busy.

Train operator national Aslef, which has been campaigning to get escaped of highest clip fares, said Mr Swinney's announcement was "very invited news".

Kevin Lindsay, the union's full-time organiser successful Scotland, added: "However, ending highest fares should not beryllium a impermanent measure.

"Peak fares are a taxation connected workers and if we are to promote much radical from roadworthy question connected to trains to assistance Scotland conscionable its clime targets, we request to put for the agelong word and marque this a imperishable policy."

Robert Samson, of rider watchdog Transport Focus, said: "This is simply a invited inaugural that volition payment thousands of passengers and enactment arsenic an inducement for non-users to alteration to a much sustainable question mode."