'Staggering' price hikes as peak rail fares return in Scotland, with Glasgow-Edinburgh return rising to £31.40

The change has seen the cost of an anytime return ticket between Glasgow and Edinburgh rise from £16.20 to £31.40. Peak rail fares returned on Monday morning following the end of a 12-month pilot to remove them.

The Scottish Government previously said the scheme had “limited success” and it could not justify continuing it given current financial pressures.

Green MSP Mark Ruskell, whose party secured the pilot during its power-sharing agreement with the SNP, 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.

“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 Aslef train drivers’ union described the Government’s decision to end the trial as “a tax on workers”.

Scottish organiser Kevin Lindsay said: “If a worker now has to get an on-peak return fare from Linlithgow to Glasgow five days a week for four weeks in a month, they will be £166 per month worse off.

“That is a shocking indictment of the decision [transport secretary Fiona Hyslop] has made and the level of these rises in fares will impact local economies all across Scotland as people see their disposable income reduced.”

Mr Lindsay said the decision would only force more people off the railways and “back into their cars”.

A Transport Scotland spokeswoman previously said: “The peak fares removal pilot was a welcome incentive over the last 12 months, saving many passengers hundreds and in some cases thousands of pounds during the cost-of-living crisis.

“The Scottish Government would be open to consider future subsidy to remove peak fares should UK budget allocations improve in future years.

“Ministers understand this will be disappointing for many rail users, particularly for those who cannot choose when they travel to and from work. That is why a 12-month discount on all ScotRail season tickets has been introduced, available weekly, monthly and annually.”