Why the return of ScotRail peak rail fares leaves SNP ministers needing a new answer

It is a decision taken by the Scottish Government that has sparked reactions of anger and disappointment in several quarters.

Aslef, the train drivers’ union, has called on the Government to “think again”, describing peak-time fares as “a tax on workers” and their return as a “short-sighted decision”.

Scottish Labour has meanwhile claimed passenger numbers at busy times soared by almost 40 per cent between October 2023 and July, compared to the same period a year earlier.

Sarah Boyack, the party’s net zero spokesperson, claimed the scheme had been “sabotaged”, saying: “Scotland deserves affordable, reliable, green rail services – but the SNP appears to have given up on rail and abandoned climate leadership.”

In justifying the decision first announced last month, Transport Scotland said the peak fares suspension trial had only enjoyed a “limited degree of success”.

Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said passenger levels had only increased to a maximum of around 6.8 per cent and suggested it would have required a 10 per cent increase for the policy to be “self-financing”.

The Government is under severe financial pressure, as evidenced by Shona Robison recently announcing £500 million of spending cuts to fill a budget black hole.

And with the 12-month peak fares suspension trial having cost £40m, there is clearly an argument to be made on whether the move represented value for money.

But scrapping the trial has put the onus firmly back on Scottish ministers to demonstrate they do actually have a vision for the country’s transport network and a plan to reduce road congestion and hit net-zero targets.

If reducing peak fares isn’t the answer, the Government now needs to show it has an alternative one.