Flying to London from Edinburgh cheaper than train to Glasgow, research finds

The Scottish Government has been urged to reduce the cost of rail travel after a price comparison found it was cheaper to fly from Edinburgh to London than commute from the Scottish capital to Glasgow by train.

Research by Scottish Labour found a return flight from Edinburgh to London Stansted could cost as little as £29.98 – less than the £31.40 price of a peak-time ScotRail ticket between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The party also said it was either the same price or cheaper to book one-way flights to locations such as Dublin and Belfast than it was to buy a one-way peak fare from Edinburgh to Glasgow.

Peak fares returned to ScotRail services in September after a Government pilot scheme ended.

The trial’s end meant a rail ticket from Glasgow to Edinburgh during peak times – when most people go to work – nearly doubled to more than £31.

The price can be brought down to £20.90 for those who buy a railcard, but not everyone is entitled to one.

Transport secretary Fiona Hyslop said the programme, which saved some commuters thousands of pounds, cost the Government around £40m a year.

She said while the pilot saw a “limited increase” in passenger numbers, “it did not achieve its aims of encouraging a significant modal shift from car to rail”.

In response, ScotRail, which was brought under public control in 2022, said it would discount all season tickets by 20% for 12 months from September.

It also said the number of journeys offered on its Flexipass tickets will increase from 10 to 12, while super off-peak fares will also return.

Labour transport spokeswoman Clare Baker said low fares are key to getting consumers back on trains.

She said: “This is perhaps a light-hearted comparison but one which reveals a serious truth – it’s costing commuters more than a mini-break to travel between Scotland’s biggest cities.

“Affordable rail fares are the key to getting people back on to trains and ending the spiral of decline facing ScotRail, while transport infrastructure underpins economic growth.

“Scottish Labour will continue to press the SNP Government to tackle expensive fares and deliver more reliable rail services.”

A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “These figures are misleading as they completely overlook the 20% discounts available on all season tickets and flexipasses, including between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

“This means regular passengers using a season ticket four times a week will pay just £18.52 and those using flexipasses £21.25 for each return journey.

“This demonstrates this Scottish Government’s commitment to keeping fares lower for those passengers who have no option but to travel at peak times, while also encouraging more people to help Scotland cut carbon emissions from transport by choosing to travel by train.”