THE Scottish government has been urged to reconsider its decision to bring back peak rail fares.

More than 10 million additional train journeys were made during the 12-month scheme that started on October 2023, analysis has shown.

Rail fares are now set to increase by an above-inflation 3.8 per cent on April 1.

The Scottish Greens’ transport spokesperson Mark Ruskell MSP said: “Public transport has to be accessible and affordable if it is to become the first choice for workers, students and commuters.

“Peak rail fares are an unfair tax. Why should the same journey cost more before a certain time of day?

“A lot of people and families are already under pressure and are being forced to stretch their budgets too far to meet their basic needs. Now they are being asked to dig deeper and pay some of Europe’s highest rail fares to get to work; it is simply unfair.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said:“We welcome the increase in the number of people using ScotRail services.

“Any initiative to reduce fares must be balanced against the increase in public subsidy required. Ministers have already stated many times that the peak fares pilot did not increase the shift from car to rail in sufficient numbers. This mirrors the results of Transport for London’s similar trial which also saw no significant increase in travel as a result of lower fares.

“Scottish Ministers have said they would consider further initiatives on peak fares if the settlement from the UK Government was increased. In the meantime, we are keeping fares increases as low as possible, lower than elsewhere in the UK, while providing a 20% discount on season tickets until September 2025 and permanent extra benefits on flexipasses. Passenger numbers have continued to grow since the end of the peak fares trial.”