Minimum £10 rail charge for not pre booking ticket - ScotRail
Received this email from ScotRail this morning.
“We’re writing to let you know about an upcoming change to rules for travelling on ScotRail services.
We’re introducing a new £10 minimum fare for journeys where a ticket hasn’t been purchased before boarding, but could have been. The minimum fare is intended to provide a clear and consistent approach for all customers and help reduce anti-social behaviour on the railway, which is often caused by a small minority travelling without a ticket.
We’ve now begun an education period to give customers time to become familiar with the change. From 1 July 2026, the £10 minimum fare will be put in place.
There are some exclusions where the minimum fare will not apply, including:
If your station has no ticket office, or it is closed and there is no ticket vending machine (TVM)
If you hold a National Entitlement Card
If accessibility requirements mean you cannot access the ticket office or use a TVM
Customers who can only pay in cash and can’t access a ticket office must obtain a ‘promise to pay’ ticket from a TVM and then purchase a ticket from on-train staff.
Further information is available on our website.”
Let the discussion commence.