Peak rail fares have been scrapped in Scotland, meaning commuters will pay less to travel in the mornings and evenings.
Scotland’s first minister said the £40m price of scrapping the peak fares will be financially sustainable “because it’s an investment in the rail network and it’s an investment in the people of Scotland”.
The policy aims to encourage commuters to switch from cars to trains, with the price of a peak-time return ticket between Glasgow and Edinburgh dropping from £32.60 to £16.80.
When a year-long pilot of the policy ended last year, Mr Swinney said it wouldn’t be continued because of financial sustainability.
This week, however, he said it was now financially sustainable because of the SNP’s “effective management of public finances”.
“People in Scotland simply travelling from Edinburgh to Glasgow on a daily basis will see their travel costs fall by almost 50%. That’s a massive saving when people are struggling financially,” he said.
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The Scottish Greens pushed for the move while in government and called the change a “big step in the right direction”.
“Peak rail fares have always been a deeply unfair tax on people who have no say over when they need to travel, and I am delighted that we are finally rid of them,” said Green MSP Mark Ruskell.
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“I’m glad that the Scottish Government has finally listened to the Greens, the trade unions and the rail users who were responsible for securing the initial pilot.
“This will not fully address the eyewatering cost of getting the train, but it is a big step in the right direction.”
