ScotRail train fares to increase by 3.8% from April
Scotland's rail fares will increase by 3.8% from April, the Government has confirmed.
The rise will come into force on April 1, while the extension of ScotRail's flexipass ticket to cover 12 single journeys rather than 10 will continue.
In response to a parliamentary question announcing the increase, Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said the Government wants to encourage more people on to public transport and had kept the increase "as low as possible".
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She said: "From April 1 2025, all ScotRail fares will increase by 3.8%, including season tickets and flexipasses.
"We want more people to choose to travel by public transport for work, study and leisure, but we know that people are still struggling with cost-of-living pressures and don't always see public transport as affordable or attractive.
"That is why we have kept the rise this year as low as possible, while also supporting the generation of sufficient revenue to help maintain existing services, and contribute towards investment in infrastructure and fleets."
The increase is lower than the 8.7% which came into force last year, but remains above the rate of inflation seen in December - 2.5%.
The Scottish Greens' spokesperson for transport, Mark Ruskell MSP, said: “These hikes will cause misery for commuters. If we want rail to be the first and best option for regular journeys then it has to be affordable and accessible for all.
“When the Scottish Greens were in government we secured the removal of peak rail fares, only for the SNP to bring them back as soon as we were out of the room.
“With household budgets being stretched to their limits, workers and regular commuters across our country are looking to find the cheapest ways to travel. These hikes will only deter people from using trains.
“If we want safer and cleaner communities and less cars on our roads then we need to cut the cost of public transport. That is how we will encourage more commuters to leave their cars at home and hop on the train or bus, while benefiting people and planet."
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