ScotRail peak fairs under fire from Green Highlands and Islands MSP Ariane Burgess

A politician from Forres has urged the Scottish Government to scrap peak rail fares.

During a parliamentary debate, Highlands and Islands MSP Ariane Burgess, claimed doing so would make it easier for people to travel by train.

She said: “If we’re serious about growing our economy, creating jobs, and tackling climate change, we need to make fares cheaper and improve journey times.

“The government asks why more people aren’t choosing the train but the question it should be asking is: why are we making it harder for them?”

Ms Burgess highlighted how expensive ScotRail services are for those who have no option but to travel during weekday rush hour periods.

For example, a commuter travelling from Aberdeen to Inverness pays £69.50 for a peak fare, £31.80 (59 per cent) more than the off-peak alternative.

According to Audit Scotland, this means Scotland is unlikely to meet its goal to reduce car usage by 20 per cent by 2030 – a key target on Scotland’s journey towards net-zero emissions.

While in Government, the Scottish Greens secured a scheme to remove peak fares for 12 months. Despite the cheaper ticket prices boosting passenger demand by 6.8 per cent, the SNP brought back higher fares last year.

Commuters are set to be hit by yet another above-inflation price hike in April, when prices will rise by 3.8 per cent.

“Climate action isn’t about telling people what to do,” said Ms Burgess. “It’s about making the right choice the easiest choice.

“Let’s stop treating rail travel like a luxury when it should be the obvious, affordable option.”

Ms Burgess also called for more investment in Highland railways to reduce journey times. The Highland main line and most other routes in the region are single-track and have not been electrified, meaning journey times are similar to what they were during Victorian times.

She finished: “The extra revenue that would be raised by boosting passenger numbers could be invested into improving infrastructure to make rail an even more attractive option.”

Ms Burgess recently secured a commitment from ScotRail to upgrade the ticketing software, addressing a long-standing issue that has caused frustration among passengers and station staff at Inverness station.

Tickets bought via ScotRail’s app and used at the ticket gates do not allow customers to break their journey, meaning that when passengers go through the gates at platforms one and two, they register the ticket as used, causing inconvenience for those needing to change platforms.

Ms Burgess also highlighted issues with the route guiding software, which has resulted in some services that go via Inverness not showing as options when people plan their journeys via the app. .

ScotRail has since confirmed that provider of the ticket gates, Cubic, will implement a software update in the coming months to allow passengers to use their tickets to exit at platform one and enter the other one without station staff having to let them through.

Ms Burgess said: "I look forward to seeing these changes implemented and a more streamlined travel experience for everyone."

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