Decision to discontinue the lifting of peak fares for rail travellers: FOI release

Information requested

Can you please share the cost benefit analysis that I’m sure the Scottish Government carried out prior to making the decision to discontinue the lifting of peak fares for rail travellers.

It was stipulated by the Transport Secretary that there needed to be an uplift of 10% in rail travel to self-finance this scheme. Given the original pilot came at a cost of £40m, what would the continuation of this scheme have cost based on the present uplift of 6.8%?

Response

For point 1 of your request:

The final evaluation report including the detailed analysis underpinning this decision and cost evaluation was published on Transport Scotland’s website on 20 August. Please see a link to the report: ScotRail Peak Fares Removal Pilot - Final Evaluation Report - August 2024 | Transport Scotland

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

For point 2 of your request:

The estimated cost of the pilot for 12 months was assessed to be up to £40m based on the 9 months of data in the published report. Seeing that the final evaluation will be carried out once the pilot has been in operation for the full 12 months, no final figures are available at this stage.

With the above in mind, the Scottish Government does not hold the information you have requested.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

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