A call for MSPs to scrap planned rail fare increases in Scotland on 1 April has been outvoted by the SNP and Liberal Democrats, who supported an SNP amendment calling for the increases to go ahead.

The Green Party had tabled a motion during opposition debate time which said the forthcoming 3.8 per cent increase should be reversed, that peak time fares should be scrapped permanently, and that simplified integrated ticketing should be introduced on ScotRail.

A previous pilot in which peak fares were experimentally suspended ended in August last year. At the time, transport secretary Fiona Hyslop said: ‘The pilot primarily benefited existing train passengers and those with medium to higher incomes. Although passenger levels increased to a maximum of around 6.8 per cent, it would require a 10 per cent increase in passenger numbers for the policy to be self-financing.’

Scottish Greens MSP Mark Ruskell said: ‘I am deeply disappointed that MSPs across the chamber voted to oppose our motion and to keep these punishing fares in place. This is another hammer blow to workers, students and commuters who are already struggling with rising bills in every corner of their lives.

‘Fares in Scotland are already among the most expensive in Europe. We badly need action to cut the cost and make rail travel more affordable for all. We need to stop financially penalising people who have no say in the times they have to catch the train.

‘ScotRail is publicly owned. We need to use that control to build a modern green railway and encourage people to leave their cars at home. If we are serious about cutting emissions then we need to boost public transport, and rail is a crucial part of that. Travelling by car should never seem like the only option available, because it costs both people and planet in the long run.’

Meanwhile, regulated fares in England will rise by 4.6 per cent on Sunday. The rise will be one percentage point above last July’s Retail Price Index, which is normally used as the base for rail fare increases. The government has defended the rise, saying: ‘It's the lowest absolute increase in three years.’

The price of most Railcards will also go up from £30 to £35. In London, TfL Underground and rail fares will rise by 4.6 per cent, but tram and bus fares will not change.

Regulated fare increases will also be 4.6 per cent on average in Wales, but some fares could rise by as much as 6 per cent, because Transport for Wales will be applying different increases to each category of fare.

Anytime Day Return fares and Off Peak Return fares will both increase by 6 per cent but Seven-Day Season tickets will increase by 3.5 per cent and Anytime Day Singles by 3 per cent.

Transport secretary Ken Skates said: ‘We understand that any increase in fares is unwelcome for passengers, but we have tried to keep the increase as low as possible. It is also important to recognise that the increasing majority of passengers no longer use these regulated products.

‘They are a vestige of the privatised railway, established to ensure that private operators could not drive huge increases in fares to maximise their profits at the expense of passengers. It is my hope that with the progress of rail reform, the return of railway services into the public sector will see the end of the need for regulated rail fares.’

Transport Focus chief executive Alex Robertson said: ‘Our research shows there is a clear mismatch between ticket prices and the service people expect to receive for what they have paid. This needs to change.

‘Passengers also know that someone must pay for the railway and funding can only come from fares or taxes. We recognise the difficult balance that must be struck between these two sources of income and that the Secretary of State must ultimately decide where the line is drawn.

‘What passengers will rightly expect now is to see improvements for the money they have paid. A simpler, easier to understand fare structure also can’t come soon enough and would attract more people back onto the railway.’

Paul Tuohy from the Campaign for Better Transport said: ‘Raising rail fares above inflation and hiking the cost of railcards is a kick in the teeth for people who rely on public transport, especially those on low income. Doing this at the same time as keeping fuel duty frozen sends entirely the wrong message. To tackle air pollution, congestion and climate change, we need to make public transport the attractive, affordable choice.’

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