Scotrail £10 minimum fare slashes ticketless travel

ScotRail introduced the campaign ahead of plans to introduce a £10 minimum fare for boarding without a ticket, which will apply from 1 July.

Since the start of May, the train operator has recorded 168,000 additional pre-purchased journeys.

Analysis suggests at least 13,000 of these journeys were previously fare-dodgers.

Phil Campbell, ScotRail’s customer operations director, said: "We are delighted that our education campaign to remind everyone of the importance of buying before boarding is proving to be successful.

"It’s about making sure customers understand the different ways they can purchase a ticket before they start their journey."

Fare evasion is estimated to cost Scotland’s Railway £11 million annually – money ScotRail says could be reinvested in better services.

The campaign, launched on April 1, 2025, focused on reminding passengers to purchase tickets before boarding where facilities are available.

ScotRail staff offered information on ticket purchasing options, including station ticket offices, self-service machines, the website, and the ScotRail app.

Signage, posters, station announcements, and social media updates supported the message.

The £10 minimum fare will apply only to passengers who had the opportunity to buy a ticket before boarding but chose not to do so.

For many short journeys, this penalty is significantly higher than the standard fare – a return ticket between Bishopbriggs and Glasgow Queen Street, for example, costs just £3.

Independent analysis shows that 74% of ticketless journeys involved open ticket offices, while 90% began at stations with working ticket machines.

ScotRail believes the new policy could help cut down on anti-social behaviour, much of which is linked to fare evasion.

The minimum fare will not apply where ticket offices are closed, machines are unavailable, or in cases where passengers cannot use them due to a disability.

Since rejoining public ownership in 2022, ScotRail has increased its focus on revenue protection by introducing dedicated officers and better tools for frontline staff.

Ticketless travel has fallen from 8.8% in April 2022 to 2.98%.

The revenue protection team now recovers around £2 million each year.

Campbell said: "Fare evasion costs Scotland’s Railway millions of pounds every year, and that is money which could otherwise be reinvested in improving services for customers.

"The introduction of a minimum fare from 1 July will help ensure fairness for the vast majority of honest, fare-paying customers, who do the right thing and buy their ticket before they travel, while supporting our frontline teams in tackling deliberate ticketless travel."