ScotRail, twitter | The Scottish Government has confirmed that the off-peak fares trial will come to an end on 27 September.

by SafetyStartsHere

35 comments

  1. Full thing from ScotRail says:

    >The Scottish Government has confirmed that the off-peak fares trial will come to an end on 27 September.

    >As the trial ends, we will continue to work closely with the Scottish Government to encourage travel by rail, providing more people with the opportunity to use trains as their primary form of transport.

    >For 12 months from 28 September 2024, this will include a 20 per cent discount on all season tickets. ScotRail will also increase the number of journeys offered on Flexipass from 10 to 12, giving customers two extra trips for the same price.

    >Super off-peak day fares will also return on 30 September 2024.

    I imagine that u/BackupJM is just as happy as I am about this.

    EdiT: [the Greens have launched a campaign on this already.](https://greens.scot/endpeakfares)

  2. What a shame! There’s nothing worse than having your ticket rejected at the gate and realising you have to kick about for another hour until it’s off-peak.

  3. What a shambles. Whether or not it’s self funded it’s not the point. We have seen an increase in train usage which is a benefit to reducing impact on the roads. It’s also seen an increase in train usage when there’s been huge train disruption.

    This screams as a way to save money and an easy ‘get out of jail free’ card since it’s 7% instead of a wanted 10%.

  4. It’s a shame that the uptick in passengers just didn’t happen. A slight rise but not enough.

  5. This seems shortsighted, it doesnt affect me too much since I mostly use off peak but still. Peoples commuting preferences are not going to drastically change overnight and this was a pretty short trial.

    Last week I got a last minute flight to Dublin for £13 but a single train to Dundee today would cost £60, that seems fucking insane given how much better for everyone using the train is.

  6. Well, personally I’m waiting with great anticipation for the improvement in service reliability and stock condition the added income from this will *surely* bring!

  7. The idea that this isn’t feasible in the current climate is a load of bollocks, just a complete scandal.

  9. This is going to cost me an absolute fucking packet. Fuckkk

  11. Anyone got an idea what tis actually does to prices? I’ve only been getting the train to work since October, so have always been under this scheme. Currently around £75 for a monthly Season ticket.

  12. So so so dumb.

    I’d be interested to dig into the passenger figures behind the ‘lack’ of an increase. Consider that since 2019 we’ve had COVID, multiple driver strikes & shortages, and now a reduced service on the Edin-Glas line. I’m pretty sure they would have seen larger growth if the trains ran to the original timetable (Edin-Glas line, every 15 minutes), since recently with the fringe the trains haven’t been stopping at some stations because they were full and I’ve seen others asking for refunds because the don’t want to travel like sardines.

    Seems on first glance like they just want to end the scheme and are pulling figures out their arse to support ending it.

  13. Is there a way to see how much peak tickets are going to cost?

  15. That’ll be me driving to work again then, can’t afford to pay peak prices

  16. Trains are too expensive in the UK generally, but I can see why they’re scrapping this given the financial black hole especially given it was a trial that’s easier to end than other things.

    I think though this is starting to lay out just how deep the funding hole is, this isn’t a soley Scottish thing though.

  19. For the amount it actually cost, totally buttons. More cars on the road, more accidents and pollution – and likely emptier trains. Just daft

  20. I wonder if they would have hit their 10% target if their summer timetable never took away any available train during the hour of 3 at one of their most central stations.

    Or had more than one train an hour on the weekend when most people are free. When they averaged 3 an hour each way 10 years ago.

    Also the seemingly random selection of inspectors who will look me directly in the eyes and jus keep walking instead of asking me for the ticket. Soundo when am getting off and it doesn’t have barriers, but it happens about 50% of the time.

    I don’t think they were trying to get rid of peak fairs at all.

  22. Currently with the off-peak tickets the train is cheaper than the bus for me

    >The pilot primarily benefitted existing train passengers and those with medium to higher incomes

    What did they mean by this, is this them saying that most people who works they consider a medium or high earner?

    Because anyone that had to commute to work in the morning benefited

  23. I thought this was the whole point of nationalising the trains so we could make decisions that helped people even if it wasn’t turning a profit

  24. That’s shite. My commute will go from about £12.95 to £30. Had been going in more frequently but probably won’t now. Can also take the coffee & lunches I buy from small businesses out of the city centre economies too. 

  25. There goes my job in Edinburgh. Either my travel costs double or I get the citylink bus that takes twice as long.

  26. What a shame. And not exactly a great look when we’ve been going through 5-6 weeks of disruption from the temporary timetable. A net cost of £12m seems a miniscule cost for the benefits this scheme brings.

  27. Oh good so on top of limited train times on Sunday and more frequent cancellations and delays we now will need to go back to peak time prices. Top notch stuff!

  28. I don’t live near a train station, so on a selfish level, I’d prefer them to sort out the bus prices in Glasgow.

    I only shop very locally now or online (maybe this was their goal?) since I’m not paying almost £6 for a return journey lasting 5 or 10 minutes.

    But I pay loads of tax for non-means tested groups to go on for free.

  29. The usual quite happy to take money off of people for driving an old car in the city but not give anything back to help the environment. Our green energy plan is a joke.

  30. I’m due to be in the office 2 days a week after September (hybrid worker).

    Right now I’m going in 1-2 days a week and just select my days at random.

    I might then change to do Thu/Fri one week and then Mon/Tue the following week, so I cover 2x weeks with a single weekly season ticket.

    Alongside the Pret subscription deal ending, it’s a bad time to be an office worker!

  31. My brothers in christ, have you considered that lower-than-expected numbers may be due to the reduced timetable? Because if you haven’t then that’s fuckin stupid

  32. Had to go to Edinburgh from Glasgow. Have 2 elderly parents who aren’t disabled but get tired easily,me and Mrs with a difficult 3 year old to take with us.

    Taking train is long, and quite bit of walking and expensive. From southside to Central then walk to Queen Street etc.

    Ingliston is an option but again takes a while and once in Edinburgh have to walk about instead of talking car for parents.

    Ended up taking car and trying to avoid lez in Edinburgh and paid £24 for 4 hours parking on street.

  33. The “amazing” thing about peak fares is that it punishes people who are taking the train to work. 

    Wouldn’t it make more sense to pay the extra on nights or weekends ?

  34. Honestly I am incandescent at this. Fuck our climate targets and put more cars on the road at peak times.

  35. Ah bollocks. Back to travelling off-peak again end of September then.

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