Ross Greer, the Scottish Green MSP for Renfrewshire has called for the above-inflation rail fare increase of 3.8% coming in April to be halted and for peak-time fare prices to be permanently scrapped.
Greer has said the fare hikes will pile further costs on commuters in Renfrewshire.
In 2023 Greer and other Scottish Green MSPs secured a scheme to remove peak fares for 12 months. Despite this resulting in ten million additional journeys being taken on Scotrail trains, the Scottish Government brought peak fares back in October 2024.
People traveling from Paisley will pay around £7.50 for a peak-time ticket to Glasgow from April. Removing peak rail fares again and halting the planned increase to all fares would reduce this to £4.90.
Ross Greer said: “People in Renfrewshire are being ripped off by extortionate rail fares.
“Most regular commuters have no say in the time they travel to work, college or university. They are effectively being punished by ridiculous price increases for getting the train at specific times of day.
“ScotRail was rightfully brought into public ownership, but it cannot be a people’s railway when so many people are priced out of using it at the time they need to. The further increase coming in April will only make things worse.
“Commuters in Renfrewshire deserve cheap, reliable and environmentally friendly transport options, which rail travel can and should be.”
Mr Greer, added: “The Scottish Greens removed peak rail fares in 2023. It resulted in ten million more journeys being taken by train and saved commuters a small fortune. Unfortunately, the Scottish Government brought those peak fares back last October.
“We’ve proven that removing peak fares works, so the Scottish Greens will now be campaigning for them to be permanently scrapped.”