The Scottish Government has announced a freeze on all ScotRail fares for the upcoming year, encompassing Season tickets and Flexipasses. The decision, revealed by First Minister John Swinney, aims to alleviate financial strain on commuters and travellers amidst the ongoing cost of living crisis.
This latest intervention follows the significant abolition of peak rail fares across the ScotRail network, which came into effect from 1 September 2025. That policy, a first for any rail network in Britain, saw reductions of up to 48% on some fares, fundamentally reshaping the pricing structure for rail travel in Scotland. The Scottish Government highlighted this as the “biggest reform to rail fares in decades.”
Speaking at Edinburgh Waverley station, First Minister John Swinney underscored the government’s commitment to supporting households. “I know the cost of living crisis is still hurting people across Scotland – and this government is determined to take action to support people wherever we can,” Mr Swinney stated. He added, “Freezing rail fares is an important way for us to keep people’s costs down and keep more money in their pockets.”
The First Minister further linked the fare freeze to the earlier peak fare removal, noting, “This follows the removal of peak fares for good across ScotRail services – which brought fares down by up to 48%.” He concluded, “The Scottish Government is resolutely focused on supporting people with the cost of living – and food, electricity and other costs continue to rise, we are taking action to keep the costs of people’s commute down.”
Market Context and Public Ownership
The move to freeze fares comes as ScotRail operates under public ownership, a transition that took place on 1 April 2022. The Scottish Government brought ScotRail Trains Limited, overseen by Scottish Rail Holdings Ltd, into public control following criticisms of performance under the previous Dutch operator, Abellio. This nationalisation marked the first time in 25 years that Scotland’s railway had been publicly owned.
The Scottish Government’s investment in rail has been substantial. Historically, Scotland’s Railway receives some of the highest public subsidies in the UK, with two-thirds of its costs covered by the Scottish Government. While ScotRail tickets are, on average, 20% cheaper than those in the rest of Great Britain, the taxpayer subsidises each kilometre travelled by a ScotRail passenger by 21 pence, significantly higher than the British average of six pence per kilometre. Under state control, the annual public subsidy for ScotRail increased from £463.7 million in the last full year before Abellio’s departure to £818.6 million in 2024/25.
Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop, emphasised the strategic rationale behind these fare policies. “We have implemented this freeze to maintain the attractiveness and affordability of rail,” Ms Hyslop commented. She highlighted Scotland’s unique position: “From September last year, Scotland became the only part of the UK to remove peak fares, the biggest reform to rail fares in decades.” Ms Hyslop also pointed to broader success metrics, stating, “With lower fares, more staff than ever before, and growing passengers and services numbers, we are delivering on our aim to make Scotland’s publicly owned operator an even greater success.”
Historical Precedent and Economic Impact
The current fare freeze is part of a series of measures aimed at supporting passengers. ScotRail fares had seen an 8.7% increase from April 2024, following an extended freeze on season tickets and Flexipasses. Prior to that, most fares increased by 4.8% in July 2023, with season and Flexipass tickets remaining frozen. The Scottish Government had also implemented a rail fare freeze until March 2023.
In contrast, the UK Government recently announced a freeze on regulated rail fares in England until March 2027, the first such freeze in 30 years. However, this explicitly excludes ScotRail and other devolved or independent operators, as transport policy for Scotland is determined by the Scottish Government.
The abolition of peak fares and the subsequent fare freeze are intended to encourage a modal shift from private cars to public transport, aligning with the Scottish Government’s net-zero ambitions. The Scottish Budget for 2026-27 explicitly allocates funding for the continued removal of peak rail fares and for concessionary travel schemes. The government estimates that policies addressing the cost of living collectively amount to around £3 billion in spending per year.
