THE SCOTTISH Greens made a call to scrap first-class fares at a debate in Parliament today over the future of Scotland’s trains.
The party’s investigation last year revealed that only 2% of first-class rail seats allocated in Scotland were being used, with the overwhelming majority sitting empty.
The Greens are calling for the complete abolition of first-class rail tickets on all ScotRail journeys, as they claim that they are entirely unnecessary and only serve to take up space on crowded trains.
Data released by ScotRail under the Freedom of Information Act has revealed that in 2021/22, only 1% of available first-class tickets were used, with that figure rising to 1.73% in 2022/23 and 2% in in 2023/24.
This comes amid concerns about overcrowding on Scotland’s railways, with many in regular carriages left to stand.
ScotRail, however, claim that first-class rail fares generate around £8m per year, with that money being reinvested into services.
The state-owned operator has declassified first-class carriages on most commuter routes, meaning that trains have first-class seats but no first-class fares, and anyone is free to sit there, but has no plans to entirely scrap first-class rates.
The figures from this investigation are from 2024, and data for first-class ticketing in 2025 has not yet been released.
The Scottish Parliament today debated the future of Scotland’s railways to mark 20 years since the Scottish Government was given increased powers over its railways in 2005.
The Railways Act 2005 streamlined rail services over the entire UK but, crucially, also granted Scottish ministers new powers to oversee its own railways.
The Greens will table an amendment to the motion in parliament concerning the railways for the Scottish Government to use those powers to expand rail services and remove first-class ticketing.
The party’s transport spokesperson, Mark Ruskell said: “Our railways are for all of us, but we’ve all had the experience of having to stand in a packed carriage when the first-class one is completely empty.
“Anyone who has got on a busy commuter train from Glasgow to Edinburgh during the festivals in August knows how uncomfortable this can be, especially in the heat which can lead to people becoming unwell.
“If 98% of first-class seats are not even being used then what is the point in them?
“It makes no sense to divide up our trains that way, especially when we are scrapping peak fares and trying to get more people on to them.
“Every journey should be a first-class experience regardless of how much we are paying for it.
“Rail should be about the need to travel rather than the ability to pay for what are often very expensive tickets.
“If we are to build a people’s railway for the 21st century then it should be welcoming, inclusive and accessible to all.
“I hope all parties will get behind my call. First-class rail is a dated idea.
“It is at odds with a ScotRail that is run for everyone, and it means less seats and busier carriages for the rest of us.
“More rail companies are taking steps to reduce first-class services. It’s time that ScotRail did the same.”
Greater Anglia, Northern, and Great Western Railway services in England have all scrapped first-class ticketing on certain lines in recent years.
