Not fare! £5 inter-city tickets ‘mislead public’

Edinburgh-to-Glasgow link left behind by £6billion rail ‘revolution’

THE Dutch firm that won the battle to run Scotland’s railways has been accused of misleading passengers after failing to introduce a £5 fare between every city.

Customers were promised a revolution in services when abellio was appointed in 2014 in the biggest single deal ever awarded by the Scottish Government, worth £6billion.

One key pledge, still carried on the company’s website, states: ‘a standard class fare between any two Scottish cities starting at £5.’

But the Scottish Daily Mail can reveal the scheme, finally being rolled out nine months after abellio took control, will not include the hugely profitable Edinburgh-to-Glasgow route.

at present, passengers must continue to pay £12.50 for a single offpeak ticket, with costs rising to as much as £23.30 for a rush-hour return journey on the 42-mile line.

Commuters also face major disruption due to the 20-week closure of the main tunnel serving Glasgow Queen Street station.

Last night, Scottish Conservative transport spokesman alex Johnstone said: ‘It’s clear passengers have been told one thing, while quite another has been delivered.’

abellio, an offshoot of the Dutch state railway, won plaudits when it was appointed by promising an easy-Jet-style fare structure. Dominic Booth, managing director of abellio UK, said in a press conference at the time: ‘It’s a bit like the equivalent of easyJet or Ryanair where there will be a certain number of £5 fares on trains that have got lots of free seats, then when they are used up it will go to £6 and then £7.’

But the details of the scheme have now been released, and it has emerged that an additional three advance single fares will be offered on certain routes, which start at £5, but rise to £8, and then £18.80. a limited number of tickets will be available 12 weeks in advance.

an abellio ScotRail spokesman said: ‘the £5 fares that we announced are available on our long-distance, reservable routes. We are currently working on plans for new, exciting products on non-reservable routes, including between Edinburgh and Glasgow.’

Meanwhile, it emerged yesterday that plans for a 140mph high-speed rail link between Glasgow and Edinburgh have been put on hold.

In November 2012, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the Scottish Government would ‘not wait’ for Westminster to deliver a crossborder high-speed line, and claimed a new inter-city line could be in place a decade earlier.

But transport minister Derek Mackay has now revealed plans for a high-speed line will depend on progress in England.

he said: ‘What is built in Scotland depends on the high speed route coming up from the south.

‘therefore it is not possible to progress planning for a high speed rail link between Edinburgh and Glasgow any further until a Crossborder high-speed route is identified.’