ScotRail are “misleading” their customers over what is the cheapest available fare, the Scottish Conservatives can reveal today.
Scottish Conservative research has found that it is possible to purchase a ticket on the ScotRail website at a lower price than what they claim on the same site is the cheapest available fare.
Using the split-ticketing method for a journey where a transfer is required, the total cost of the journey is in some cases almost half the price of what ScotRail offer when a direct ticket is purchased.
In this instance, they claim on their website that this direct ticket is the lowest fare.
At Net Zero Energy and Transport committee today, Graham Simpson, the Scottish Conservative shadow transport minister, asked the transport minister Fiona Hyslop whether she would address these “concerning discrepancies” to ensure fares for public transport are as low as possible for the public.
Scottish Conservative shadow transport minister Graham Simpson MSP said: “ScotRail passengers have a right to expect the lowest possible fare for their journey.
“But these concerning discrepancies that we have discovered seem to reveal that is not what’s happening.
“It is not right that in some cases, buying a direct ticket through the ScotRail app or website can cost double the price of other fares.
“For ScotRail then to claim that the ticket they are offering is the cheapest available fare is misleading to their customers.
“The minister acknowledged this problem, but if we want to encourage people back on to public transport, we must ensure that our fares are at the lowest possible price.”
Notes to editors:
ScotRail fail to provide passengers with the cheapest fares on split-ticket journeys across Scotland. Scottish Conservative research has found that on train journey where the passenger must change trains, ScotRail regularly fail to provide the cheapest fare for those journeys. In some cases, ScotRail tickets can cost double the cheapest available fare.
ScotRail has a price promise guarantee. ScotRail state: “If you find the same Season, Anytime or Off-Peak ticket (or combination of tickets) cheaper elsewhere, we’ll refund the difference.” (ScotRail, accessed 22 May 2024, link).
A return journey from Stewarton to Montrose can cost £28 more on ScotRail than the cheapest available fare. Scottish Conservative research has found that a passenger taking a return journey on the 27th May 2024 from Stewarton – Montrose, leaving at 07:01am and returning at 18:22pm the same day would cost £74.40 via the ScotRail website. However, the same journey would cost £54.79 via the Trainline. If a passenger were to buy the tickets individually, Stewarton – Glasgow and Glasgow – Montrose, this would cost £55.90 – £28.70 cheaper than ticket price advertised on ScotRail.
A return journey from Kyle of Lochalsh to Invergordon can cost £13 more on ScotRail than the cheapest available fare. Scottish Conservative research found that a passenger taking a return journey on the 27th May 2024 from Kyle of Lochalsh – Invergordon, leaving at 06:11am and returning at 16:10pm the same day, would cost £46.80 via the ScotRail website. However, the same journey would cost £33.09 via the Trainline. If a passenger were to buy the tickets individually, Kyle of Lochalsh – Dingwall and Dingwall – Invergordon, this would cost £33.90 – £13.71 cheaper than ticket price advertised on ScotRail.
A return journey from East Kilbride-Aberdeen costs £72.20 through ScotRail app/website
Alternatively, a passenger making the same journey could purchase a return ticket from East Kilbride to Glasgow for £10.20, then a return journey from Glasgow to Aberdeen for £29.40 costing them a total of £39.60. That’s a difference of £32.60.