Monday the 2nd of October will see ScotRail introduce cheaper and simpler off-peak all-day fares as part of a six-month trial which is funded by the Scottish Government. The trial aims to encourage people to use train travel in place of travelling by car and will be ongoing until the end of March 2024.

Introducing huge savings for rail customers throughout Scotland, the trial will see fares between Edinburgh and Glasgow almost halved from £28.90 to £14.90. Below are some further examples of savings to fares including:

• Inverkeithing to Edinburgh will drop from £11.10 to £6.50
• Perth to Dundee will drop from £14.40 to £9.90
• Glasgow to Stirling will drop from £16.10 to £9.60
• Inverurie to Aberdeen will drop from £11.10 to £8.90
• Inverness to Elgin will drop from £22.00 to £14.40

Routes which feature no off-peak fares due to fares remaining the same price throughout the day will see no changes in ticket price during the trial.

The week commencing the 18th of September will see the ScotRail website and app upgrades with the off-peak fares over the six-month trial.

The project aims to repair the radical impact the pandemic had on the commuter market, which saw a massive drop in people travelling at traditional peak times. Today, the commuter market is only 70% recovered compared to pre-pandemic levels. The trial anticipates that people will make use of the cheaper fares available earlier in the day, making train travel much more appealing.

ScotRail will monitor services throughout the trial and is expecting some trains to see increased usage. The rail operator will also communicate with passengers during the trial, informing them of the best travel options available to them.

The project marks the first of its kind for the UK rail industry and also aims to support the Scottish Government’s aim to achieve net zero as more people move to rail travel.

Alex Hynes, Scotland’s Railway Managing Director, said:

“This is a hugely exciting opportunity for Scotland’s Railway to encourage more people across the country to choose rail travel instead of using the car.”

“Everyone at ScotRail is working hard to make sure that this six-month trial will be a success, and we will be monitoring our services and stations daily to see where we have any significant increases in customer journeys.”

“We know that cost and simplicity is a critical factor for people when they choose how to travel, and we are looking forward to delivering this fantastic fare reduction for our customers.”