Alastair Dalton rail travel update

Alastair Dalton, The Scotsman's Transport Correspondent gives an update on the lifting of the alcohol ban and peak fare abolition.

Transcript

00:00I'm Alistair Dalton, the Scotsman's transport correspondent, here to tell you about two

00:04significant changes being introduced by ScotRail on drinking alcohol and peak fares. First of all,

00:12on alcohol, the blanket restriction that has been in place since the Covid pandemic in 2020

00:18is to be eased. From the 2nd of June 2025, you'll be able to drink on trains and in stations between

00:2710am and 9pm. ScotRail will also resume selling alcohol from their catering trolleys on some

00:36services but that will be later. However, the night time restriction between 9pm and 10am

00:44will remain. ScotRail said some other restrictions may also be imposed such as during large concerts

00:52and sporting events. However, the change will mean an anomaly will remain between ScotRail and other

00:59train operators in Scotland such as LNER and Avanti West Coast, most of whose services do not have

01:06alcohol restrictions. On peak fares, the higher price that you pay for travelling at certain times

01:13will be abolished, which the Scottish Government says will be for good. It means that you won't be

01:19charged extra for travelling before 9.15 in the morning or in the late afternoon or early evening

01:26on some routes, such as between Edinburgh and Glasgow. However, not everyone will benefit because

01:32peak fares aren't charged on some routes such as those north of Inverness. The permanent scrapping of

01:39peak fares follows a year-long experiment that ended in September 2024, which didn't produce the expected

01:48switch of drivers to trains. However, the Scottish Government say they have more funding now

01:55and are switching the focus to concentrate on the money-saving aspect of the scheme, as well as hoping

02:03more drivers will leave the car at home and travel by rail. Ministers hope to achieve that with what they say

02:11will be an extensive marketing campaign which could offset the expected £40 million a year cost of the scheme.