From 1 April 2025, the Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Scheme will introduce a new concessionary fares structure. This will see a move away from the current basic concessionary fare to a new ‘half-fare with cap’ structure.
Capped fares will apply for all ferry journeys and certain rural rail journeys.
It means that from this date, for the majority of concessionary journeys, the Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Scheme will offer a minimum 50% discount against operator standard fares.
The Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Scheme relies on funding from 12 local authorities in the west of Scotland and provides discounts for eligible users on rail, SPT Subway and on ferry services for island and peninsula residents.
The Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Scheme helps facilitate more than 5 million journeys each year at a typical cost of £4.5 million annually to local authorities. With increasing demand for Strathclyde concessionary travel, alongside increasing operator fares, it became clear that without changes, the scheme was in danger of closing or being significantly curtailed with only one or two years’ worth of funding reserves remaining.
The decision to introduce the new fares was made following a review of the scheme carried out in 2020, with recommendations presented to the Scheme’s Joint Committee in March 2021. This review of the scheme was necessary as it was clear that it was experiencing on-going financial pressures and was not sustainable in the medium to long term in its current format.
Fares structure from 1 April 2025
Rail:
Half the Standard Rail Fare (50% Discount)
Fares are capped at £2.50 single and £4.00 return between stations within designated rural zones (see eligible stations below)
Subway:
£1.00 (single)
£1.60 (return)
Ferry:
Half the standard ferry operator fare.
Fares are capped at £2.50 single and £4.00 return across the ferry network.
Eligible rail rural stations*:
a) Oban; Connel Ferry; Taynuilt; Falls of Cruachan; Loch Awe; Dalmally; Bridge of Orchy; Ardlui; Arrochar & Tarbet; Garelochhead; Helensburgh Stations
b) Ayr; Maybole; Barrhill; Girvan
c) Kilmarnock; Auchinleck; New Cumnock
* rail journeys must start and end at stations within one of the designated rural zones above to qualify for a rural capped concessionary fare
Chair of the SCTS Joint Committee, Councillor Stephen Dornan, said:
“While we appreciate and fully support the popularity of the concessionary travel scheme, the basic fare structure it was operating under was putting the scheme at risk. Concessionary fares have not kept pace with wider operator fare increases so the scheme has been costing more year-on-year, and local authorities, facing decreasing budgets, simply cannot afford to contribute more to the scheme.
“This situation has now become financially unsustainable and we faced the very real prospect of losing the scheme if we didn’t make substantial changes. So, from 1st April 2025, we will now implement a half standard fare and a revised cap on ferry and rural rail routes with scheme fares increasing in line with fare inflation each year thereafter. The cap will be set for the first year at £2.50 single and £4.00 return.”
The scheme remains obligated to ensure that transport is affordable for all those who use it.
