ScotRail Fares Frozen for 12 Months From April 2026

The Scottish Government announced on 12 February 2026 that all ScotRail fares will freeze for 12 months from 1 April 2026. The measure covers every ticket type, including season tickets and Flexipass, and represents a direct response to cost-of-living pressures on Scottish households.

What Is Frozen

Transport Scotland confirmed the freeze applies across the ScotRail network. That means no increase on:

- Single and return tickets

- Season tickets (weekly, monthly, annual)

- Flexipass (the carnet-style multi-journey product)

- Off-peak and anytime fares

- Sleepers (where ScotRail operates them)

The freeze lasts until 31 March 2027.

How This Compares to the Rest of the UK

England faces a different picture. Regulated fares, which include most season tickets, rose by up to 4.9% on 2 March 2025. Unregulated fares, set by individual operators, often climbed higher. For commuters around London, Manchester, or Birmingham, the contrast with Scotland will feel stark.

ScotRail is publicly owned, operated by Scottish Rail Holdings on behalf of Transport Scotland. This gives ministers direct control over pricing policy. In England, most operators remain private franchises or are only recently under public ownership via DfT Operator Ltd. Fare decisions there involve more complex commercial negotiations.

The Funding Question

Freezing fares costs money. Revenue foregone must come from somewhere. The Scottish Government has linked continued funding to passenger demand targets. If ScotRail fails to hit recovery milestones, the subsidy could shrink. For now, though, passengers get certainty.

Who Benefits Most

Regular commuters in the Central Belt see the clearest savings. A Glasgow to Edinburgh season ticket holder avoids what would likely have been a £100+ increase. Rural passengers, who often face higher per-mile costs, also keep existing rates. Tourists and occasional travellers benefit too, though the absolute savings are smaller.

What This Means for 2026 Travel Planning

If you are visiting Scotland this year, your rail costs are now locked in. The Edinburgh Festival, Highland games season, or autumn walking trips all get slightly cheaper relative to inflation. For Scottish residents, the freeze removes one source of uncertainty from household budgets.

The political message is clear. The Scottish Government is using public ownership to deliver a tangible, understood benefit. Whether that model spreads to England depends on the direction of rail policy after future elections.

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**Sources**

- [ScotRail fares freeze announcement](https://www.gov.scot/news/scotrail-fares-to-be-frozen/), Scottish Government

- [England rail fare rises 2025](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y7v5jzl1wo), BBC News

- [Transport Scotland budget](https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/transport-scotland-budget/), Transport Scotland