Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 26 February 2025
26 Feb 2025 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Rail Fares
I have limited time.
The 2025-26 transport budget focuses on that, but it also focuses on funding actions that will help to cut carbon emissions. Decisions on how much is needed to support rail travel are carefully calibrated—we need to balance the necessary revenue contribution from passengers, which equates to around 35 per cent of train operator costs, against the already significant level of public investment that is required from the transport resource budget to operate ScotRail.
I am very mindful of the costs to rail passengers and am seeking to keep fares affordable and accessible. That is why the increase in rail fares in Scotland from April will be only 3.8 per cent, which is below the United Kingdom Labour Government’s increase of 4.6 per cent.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Annabelle Ewing)
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-16572, in the name of Mark Ruskell, on cheaper rail fares. I invite members who wish to speak in the deba...
Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)
Green
I acknowledge up front that bringing ScotRail into public ownership has been a welcome move by the Scottish Government that has put the public interest at th...
The Cabinet Secretary for Transport (Fiona Hyslop)
SNP
I reassure Mark Ruskell that integrated ticketing is happening, but does he recognise that 75 per cent of public sector journeys are on buses? Is it the posi...
Mark Ruskell
Green
No—it is not an either/or. The cabinet secretary would do well to reflect on the fact that many people use multiple modes of transport and that integration i...
The Cabinet Secretary for Transport (Fiona Hyslop)
SNP
The Government agrees that we must make public transport accessible, affordable and reliable in order to encourage more people to travel by bus and train. T...
Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green)
Green
I encourage the cabinet secretary to check the record in reference to what we proposed during budget negotiations. She knows that the Scottish Greens have ma...
Fiona Hyslop
SNP
I am sorry, but I asked my officials to check whether introducing a 3.8 per cent increase and rail fare freeze were part of budget discussions, and I was rea...
Paul Sweeney (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
Will the cabinet secretary give way?
Fiona Hyslop
SNP
I have limited time. The 2025-26 transport budget focuses on that, but it also focuses on funding actions that will help to cut carbon emissions. Decisions ...
Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
Fiona Hyslop
SNP
I have limited time. We are seeking to keep fares down for regular passengers and commuters through the 20 per cent discount on all ScotRail season tickets—...
Paul Sweeney
Lab
Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention?
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
The cabinet secretary is about to conclude.
Fiona Hyslop
SNP
I apologise to Mr Sweeney. Those price and fare innovations are designed to encourage people to switch from car to train and to simplify journey planning. T...
Sue Webber (Lothian) (Con)
Con
We know that an efficient transport network that delivers value for money for taxpayers is essential for economic and social development across Scotland. How...
Fiona Hyslop
SNP
I think that Sue Webber would acknowledge that there has been a great deal of hybrid working, with people who have been working from home not using any form ...
Sue Webber
Con
I am certain that, if we had fair and less expensive fares, passenger numbers would be even greater. Despite the reduced number of passenger journeys, ScotR...
Maggie Chapman (North East Scotland) (Green)
Green
Will the member take an intervention?
Sue Webber
Con
No—sorry. We are short of time. Unsurprisingly, only one fifth of passengers think that ScotRail delivers good value for money. Polling found that 46.4 per ...
Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
Scottish Labour agrees that rail fares in Scotland must be more affordable and that rail travel must be an attractive alternative to car use. We are committe...
Beatrice Wishart (Shetland Islands) (LD)
LD
I welcome the opportunity to reply on behalf of the Scottish Liberal Democrats. We believe that rail needs to be affordable, that ticketing is too complex an...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
We move to the open debate, with back-bench speeches of up to four minutes. 16:24
Ariane Burgess (Highlands and Islands) (Green)
Green
For a moment, Presiding Officer, imagine yourself in the shoes of my constituent. You need to get to work. It is rush hour. You check the train price—it is w...
Clare Adamson (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP)
SNP
I will start with a bit of consensus. I think that everyone agrees that we want rail travel to be affordable. We want to encourage more people to use public ...
Claire Baker
Lab
Will the member take an intervention?
Clare Adamson
SNP
I am sorry—I have only a short time left. The pilot showed minimal impacts overall on car travel. Only 0.1 per cent of car journeys moved to rail during th...
Maurice Golden (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
I will use my speech today to talk about the role of public transport in general, but first let me address the motion that is before us and the specific issu...
Fiona Hyslop
SNP
The member has raised an important point about integrated ticketing. The advice that we received from our smart ticketing advisory board is that the increasi...
Maurice Golden
Con
I accept that, and I take the point on board, but some people will still require a card. Our train stations should be accessible and appealing to visit. Th...
Richard Leonard (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I remind members of my voluntary registration of trade union interests. Last month, the Accounts Commission teamed up with the Auditor General to publish a ...