Price Freeze For 40% of ScotRail Journeys in 2014

Published on : Tuesday, December 24, 2013

ScotrailAs first announced in August, ScotRail’s off-peak tickets – used for 40% of journeys on its trains – are frozen at the 2013 level and peak fares increase in line with inflation.

ScotRail managing director Steve Montgomery said: “We have frozen fares for 40% of all journeys.

“Overall, this means our fares will increase by an average of 1.9%, significantly below inflation and one of the lowest rises in the UK.”

He added: “ScotRail is set to carry a record-breaking 85 million passengers this year, and nine out of ten are satisfied with their ScotRail journey. Expanded services and the lowest possible fares are the foundations for the best-ever performance on Scotland’s railways and we’re committed to continuing this positive trend.”

ScotRail stressed that rising fuel costs have a significant impact on rail fares, with the price of petrol and diesel having risen by 69% since 2004, and that for every £1 a train operator receives in fares, just 3p is made in profit.

The 3.1% inflationary rise will apply only to peak time fares. For example, a Glasgow-Edinburgh anytime return ticket will rise by 70p, from £21.80 to £22.50, and a Glasgow-Stirling anytime return ticket will rise by 40p, from £12.20 to £12.60.

ScotRail has also agreed with Transport Scotland to cap peak fares at inflation in January 2015 and to continue to freeze its off-peak fares at 2013 levels, provided that the Retail Price Index (RPI) remains below 3.5% per annum.

Transport Minister Keith Brown said: “Scotland’s railways are offering an ever more attractive travel option and, alongside the Scottish Government’s £5billion package of investment over the next five years, the work being done between the Scottish Government and First ScotRail to bear down on fares will draw even more people from the road on to the train.

“We negotiated a cap on peak fares in 2014 and 2015 to ensure they do not rise by any more than inflation, and off peak fares are being frozen as long as inflation stays below 3.5%.

“This will help us see a continuation of the shift from road to rail which has resulted 85 million passengers travelling on ScotRail services in the past year alone.”

Meanwhile, ScotRail announced that its GroupSave product – which provides discounted off-peak travel for groups of 3-5 people – will be expanded in 2014 to include the Glasgow/Edinburgh–Alloa routes for the first time.

Source:- ScotRail

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