Scottish Greens will scrap first class rail fares
The Scottish Greens manifesto will commit to scrapping first class on ScotRail services and converting the space into standard class seating, as part of their vision for a fairer, greener and more accessible publicly-owned rail network.
Figures released under Freedom of Information show that first class seating on Scotland’s publicly owned railways is barely being used. In 2021/22, only 1% of first class seats were used across all lines where they were available, to 1.73% in 2022/23.
Separate figures also show that from April 2023 to April 2024, just 39,000 first class tickets were bought on ScotRail services, despite around 2 million first class seats being available.
The Scottish Greens say this highlight a huge waste of space at a time when passengers are facing high fares, overcrowding and pressure on capacity.
Elsewhere, train companies across the UK have taken steps to phase out first-class seats in recent years.
The Scottish Greens’ manifesto will commit to similar steps being taken on Scotrail services, with the immediate declassification of first class carriages until such time as they can be replaced by standard class seating.
Scottish Greens Co-leader Gillian Mackay MSP said:
“In the middle of a cost of living crisis, publicly owned railways cannot afford to waste space. If 98% of first class seats are not even being used then what is the point in them?
“If a train is publicly owned, then every part of it should be working in the public interest, but far too often passengers are forced to stand in overcrowded carriages while first class sits almost empty. That is completely unfair, inefficient and out of step with the kind of public transport system Scotland needs.
“The Scottish Greens want every journey on ScotRail to feel like a first class experience. That means affordable fares, reliable services and enough room for everyone on board. Our public railways should be about getting people where they need to go, not keeping empty seats reserved for the few that can afford it."
Gillian added:
“A greener transport system is not just about owning trains publicly, it has to be convenient, affordable and comfortable enough that people choose it.
“People rightly expect a service that puts passengers first. That’s why the Scottish Greens ended peak rail fares and why we want to scrap first class on ScotRail to increase capacity.
“A vote for the Scottish Greens on May 7th is a vote to build a fairer, more inclusive rail network that works for passengers, staff and planet.”