Meeting of the Parliament 04 September 2025
I thank all those who have supported my motion on the Scottish Government’s abolition of peak rail fares, which has allowed it to be debated today.
As a non-driver and regular rail and bus user in my constituency of Maryhill and Springburn, I am well aware that many of my constituents require an accessible, reliable and affordable rail service. The abolition of peak rail fares by our Scottish National Party Government sits at the heart of that ambition. It is not the only aspect, though—I will return to that later.
My local train station is Summerston, which sits on the Maryhill line. I used the train service to get to Edinburgh this week, changing at Queen Street station. Many of my constituents will have made a similar journey this week. Maryhill, Kelvindale, Gilshochill and other stations on the line all serve commuters heading into Glasgow city centre and onward destinations elsewhere. Before the abolition of peak rail fares, an anytime return journey from Maryhill to Edinburgh would have cost £35.50. Today, it costs £19.90, which is a 44 per cent reduction.
For those who travel to work in Glasgow city centre, an anytime return to Glasgow Queen Street cost £5.40 last week. It now costs £3.10, which represents a 43 per cent reduction. Of course, not all my constituents travel into Glasgow city centre. Some areas do not have access to a large supermarket and do not have alternative public transport that allows people to get to one. They will make savings at former peak times when they travel to, perhaps, Summerston or Anniesland to use or work in one of the large supermarkets there. All those savings will make a real-life difference to my constituents.
The cost of living crisis that has swept across the UK has not gone away.