A series of routes in Tayside and Fife are now benefitting from a cut in peak-time fares on ScotRail trains.
A Scottish Government-funded project is allowing passengers to travel all day on off-peak fares until March 29 2024.
The six-month trial began on Monday October 2.
It means large savings across the country, with return fares on the main line between Edinburgh and Glasgow coming down from £28.90 (peak-time) to £14.90 (off-peak).
Tayside and Fife ScotRail routes benefitting from peak fares cut
Examples of savings on popular routes in Tayside and Fife include:
- Inverkeithing – Edinburgh (£11.10 to £6.50)
- Kirkcaldy – Edinburgh (£7.40 to £11.10)
- Kirkcaldy – Glasgow (£37.20 to £28.90)
- Dundee – Kirkcaldy (£28.30 to £16.90)
- Dundee – Edinburgh (£41.40 to £32.20)
- Dundee – Glasgow (£53.40 to £44)
- Perth – Dundee (£14.40 to £9.90)
- Perth – Kirkcaldy (£19.20 to £10.70)
- Perth – Edinburgh (£31.60 to £19.90)
- Perth – Glasgow (£36.90 to £18.40)
- Pitlochry – Perth (£22.70 to £16.60)
Will it be a long-term scheme?
There are some routes where no off-peak fare exists because the same price is available at any time of the day, and as such, customers will not see any change in those areas..
The project – the first of its kind in the UK – is designed to counter a 30% drop in the commuter market since Covid restrictions began in March 2020.
Alex Hynes, Scotland’s Railway managing director, said: “This is a hugely exciting opportunity for Scotland’s Railway to encourage more people across the country to choose rail travel instead of using the car.
“Everyone at ScotRail is working hard to make sure that this six-month trial will be a success, and we will be monitoring our services and stations daily to see where we have any significant increases in customer journeys.”
The Scottish Government says it will consider the impact of the pilot and the project’s long-term sustainability before committing to any reinstatement after March 29 2024.
Conversation