Rail fares are cut to end ‘split ticketing’
RAIL fares will be cut by up to 41 per cent on some journeys to tackle a decades-old anomaly that makes it cheaper to buy two tickets than a single through fare.
More than 1,500 “split ticketing” inconsistencies will end thanks to a £2.28million grant from Transport Scotland, Transport Minister Keith Brown announced yesterday.
The move will aim to ensure end-to-end fares across Scotland will be at least 50p cheaper than buying one ticket part of the way to a destination, and a second ticket to complete the journey.
It’s regrettable that, despite ScotRail making a massive profit last year, the burden for getting rid of ScotRail’s pricing fix has fallen on the taxpayer.
More than a quarter of a million ScotRail journeys will be affected by the cut from May 19, around 0.3 per cent of the 81 million journeys taken in Scotland last year.
Mr Brown said: “It became apparent that, due to historic pricing regimes in the franchise specification agreed by the previous administration in 2004, passengers had to navigate their way through a fares database to find the best deal.
“That’s not what we want. We want a fares system which is quick and easy to use, and which provides the cheapest fare possible.”
Dundee travellers have some of the biggest anomalies, causing locals to complain about a rail travel “Tay tax”.
Fares from Dundee to Portlethan will be cut by £11.30 (41 per cent), to Aberdeen by £9.40 (34 per cent), to Edinburgh by £7 (30 per cent) and to Stirling by £5 (27 per cent).
Scottish Labour’s Shadow Transport Minister, Elaine Murray, said: “It’s regrettable that, despite ScotRail making a massive profit last year, the burden for getting rid of ScotRail’s pricing fix has fallen on the taxpayer.”
Steve Montgomery the managing director of ScotRail, said: “This is another example of us putting the customer first.”