Renfrewshire commuters hit in the pocket as peak rail fares make unwelcome return

A pilot scheme that saw peak fares scrapped has now ended.

The return of peak rail fares in Scotland will be a costly blow for commuters and our climate, says the Scottish Greens transport spokesperson Mark Ruskell MSP.

Mr Ruskell’s comments came on the day peak rail fares returned to Renfrewshire following a 12-month pilot to remove them.

The fare hike means that someone travelling from Paisley to Glasgow will now pay £4.60 for a one-way ticket. Those travelling between Glasgow and Edinburgh at peak times will see a return fare increase from £16.20 to £31.40.

Mr Ruskell said: “A lot of commuters will have an unpleasant surprise when they pay for their tickets this morning and see that prices are higher than ever.

“Peak rail fares are fundamentally unfair. They disproportionately impact people who have no say over when they need to travel for work or study.

“Bringing them back will do nothing to help workers or students or to encourage people out of their cars. Many regular commuters have saved hundreds of pounds on their fares over the last year, and some of the rises they will now face are staggering.

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“If we want to build a transport system that works for people and planet then we need to ensure that rail is always an affordable and reliable option. People in Scotland already pay some of the highest fares in Europe and this will only make it worse.”

Mr Ruskell added: “The removal of peak rail fares was one of the most important changes that the Scottish Greens secured in government.

“I am proud of the work we did with trade unions and campaigners to deliver it. I hope that the SNP will reconsider this decision, and that we will see peak fares removed permanently.”

The Scottish Government confirmed in August that a permanent move to off-peak rail fares was not financially viable. It had subsidised the pilot to the tune of £40 million but said it “did not achieve its aims” of encouraging more people to swap their cars for rail travel.

Although passenger levels increased to a maximum of around 6.8 per cent, the scheme would require a 10 per cent increase to be self-financing, officials said.

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