Scottish Parliament – Feb. 26, 2025 – 4

S6M-16572.3: As an amendment to motion S6M-16572 in the name of Mark Ruskell (Cheaper Rail Fares), leave out from first “fares” to end and insert “and bus fares must be affordable to encourage the use of public transport;

welcomes that rail passenger numbers, since the off-peak all-day pilot ended, have continued to grow, with demand in each four-week period being an average of 4.5% more than the same period in 2024, when the trial was in place;

notes that the Scottish Budget for 2025-26 includes provision for a pilot of a £2 bus fare cap;

recognises that the results of the off-peak all-day pilot mirror the results of Transport for London’s similar trial, which also saw no significant increase in travel as a result of lower fares;

further recognises that reinstating off-peak fares all day from 1 April 2025 would cost up to £40 million of resource funding, which would require a commensurate reduction elsewhere in the Transport portfolio’s resource budget;

recognises that not implementing a fares rise in 2025 would require an additional £11 million, which would require a commensurate reduction elsewhere in the Transport portfolio’s resource budget, and believes that any further consideration of off-peak fares all day should take account of the Transport Scotland and Transport for London research, be part of future budget planning and must also consider progress on bus affordability, availability and reliability across Scotland.” 

Original motion(S6M-16572): That the Parliament believes that rail fares in Scotland must be cheaper;

regrets the decision by the Scottish Government to end the off-peak all-day pilot in September 2024, despite an increase of passenger demand by 6.8% and an average 17% cost saving to passengers;

understands that expensive and complex ticketing deters passengers from choosing to travel by train;

acknowledges that, in order to fulfil the Scottish Government’s ambition of reducing car kilometres by 20% by 2030, rail services and public transport must be cheaper and more accessible, and calls, therefore, on the Scottish Government to reverse the 3.8% increase to rail fares coming into effect from 1 April 2025, to permanently remove peak-time rail fares, and to simplify public transport fares, through the introduction of integrated ticketing, as soon as possible.