A FLIGHT from Edinburgh to London can be cheaper than a train to Glasgow, Scottish Labour pointed out as it urged the Scottish government to cut the cost of commuting.

Research by Scottish Labour, published today, found that a flight from Edinburgh to London Stanstead could cost as little as £29.98, while a train ticket between Edinburgh and Glasgow has soared to £31.40 after the Scottish government reintroduced peak fares on ScotRail, almost doubling fares in the process.

Peak fares had been ditched as part of a pilot, but SNP transport secretary Fiona Hyslop ended the pilot in September, arguing “it did not achieve its aims of encouraging a significant modal shift from car to rail” and that its £40 million cost only delivered a “limited increase” in passengers — an argument disputed by rail unions and opposition politicians alike.  

Scottish Labour transport spokeswoman Clare Baker said: “This is perhaps a light-hearted comparison but one which reveals a serious truth — it’s costing commuters more than a mini-break to travel between Scotland’s biggest cities.

“Affordable rail fares are the key to getting people back on to trains and ending the spiral of decline facing ScotRail, while transport infrastructure underpins economic growth.

“Scottish Labour will continue to press the SNP government to tackle expensive fares and deliver more reliable rail services.”

Branding Labour’s figures “misleading” a Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “Regular passengers using a season ticket four times a week will pay just £18.52 and those using flexipasses £21.25 for each return journey.

“This demonstrates this Scottish government’s commitment to keeping fares lower for those passengers who have no option but to travel at peak times, while also encouraging more people to help Scotland cut carbon emissions from transport by choosing to travel by train.”