Calls for SNP to cut Scotrail’s fares and increase its services
SNP ministers have been urged to lower fares and increase services now that Scotrail has been nationalised.
Trainservicesarebackinpublic hands for the first time in 25 years after Dutch firm Abellio had its franchise ended three years early amid criticism over its performance.
Transportministerjennygilruth said fares in Scotland are around 20 per cent cheaper than they are in the rest of the UK.
But she told the BBC'S Sunday Show: "I think one of the things that passengers might expect ustodoasagovernmentunder public ownership is to reconsider the affordability of travel on rail, particularly in light of increases to the cost of living, for example.
"So it's absolutely not somethingthatwe'rerulingoutgoing forward."
Faresbetweenedinburghand Glasgow are £425.50 a month, while Kirkcaldy to Edinburgh is £247.30 a month.
Scottish Conservative transportspokesmangrahamsimpson said Ms Gilruth "needs to look at lowering fares so that they are more affordable".
He told the BBC: "We need a simplerfaresystemandalsowe need that smartcard that we've beentalkingaboutforyearsthat they managed to give to COP26 delegates, but what about the rest of us?"
Delegates to the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow were provided with a free travel smartcard allowing them to travel on buses, trains and trams.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said it was a "good thing" that Scotrail was now in public hands. He said: "At the moment what we're seeing is rail fares going up ... we're seeing ticket offices closing or reducing their hours, we're seeing routes cut. That's not a better service for people across Scotland. That's a worse service.
"If you get better services, services that come on time, more options with your services and lower fares, you will get more people on to the railways.”
The comments come with an investigation showing Scotrail is failing to show passengers the cheapest fares for some journeys on its website. The train operator only displays the price of single tickets for one-way journeys, even when buying a return would be cheaper.