SCOTRAIL bosses have recently come under fire for pushing ahead with a "deeply unfair" price hike after a report revealed the transport operator is worth more than £4 billion to the Scottish economy.
The RMT union's General Secretary Eddie Dempsey insisted that the fare increase is a decision the organisation "cannot justify”.
He added: "If you are serious about cutting carbon and getting people out of cars, then it does not make sense to make travel more expensive and less accessible.
“The Scottish Government needs to back its words with action: Freeze fares, protect staff, and start investing properly in Scotland’s publicly owned railway.”
On track to success with your ticket going further than you think 🚉 Did you know ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/U2dGWcdxaG
— ScotRail (@ScotRail) March 31, 2025
However, a Transport Scotland spokesperson said that while an increase in ticket prices is "unwelcome," rises have been kept as low as possible.
How much have ScotRail fares increased by and when did this come into effect?
The ScotRail fare hike came into effect today (Tuesday, April 1), seeing prices rise by 3.8%.
From Tuesday, 1 April, the Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Scheme will see a new fares structure introduced. For full details on these changes, please visit the @SPTcorporate website: ⬇️ https://t.co/Ljo1DAtJ4E pic.twitter.com/qeCBwLBr74
— ScotRail (@ScotRail) March 31, 2025
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Is ScotRail publically owned?
In 2022, ScotRail came under public ownership for the first time in 25 years after being run by private firms like Abellio.
Then-First Minister Nicola Sturgeon described the move as a "historic and momentous occasion".
Speaking at Queen Street station in Glasgow, she added: "This new beginning creates a real opportunity to deliver a railway which is for the nation, and fully focused on being run for the benefit of its users - customers, staff and stakeholders, as opposed to shareholders."
