Money Infant

As the plans are announced this month for the multi-billion pound investment to revamp most of Scotland’s rail services, the plans have received heavy scrutiny from Labour ministers and were dubbed by Labour’s shadow secretary, Richard Baker, as a “missed opportunity”. The scrutiny stems from contempt among the Labour party towards the SNP’s decision to cut the initial budget for the project by around a third.

What does this mean for me?

Although the budget for the project has been substantially cut, passengers will still benefit from many improved services such as the electrification of many existing routes, meaning faster journey times. However the reduction of the budget has brought about speculation and fear that passengers will face increased fares.

How can I save on public transport?

Buy early

Train timetables are released 12 weeks in advance and so the tickets for these journeys are generally released around the same time, so 12 weeks in advance is the optimum time to buy early for a cheap deal.

Buy at the last minute

The ideal time to buy tickets in advance to ensure a good deal is 12 weeks but don’t panic if you think you’ve left it too late. You can buy tickets ‘in advance’ online right up to the day of departure, and sometimes you can catch some great deals on tickets.

Spot the promotions

Depending on the length of the journey and where you’re traveling to and from, the easiest way to find the best deal can vary. Check out National Rail for local offers on travel, these can include first class upgrades or cheap tickets for children. If you’re using virgin trains then the easiest way to find offers for these is directly on the virgin fairfinder site, these can be particularly good for cheap trains to London.

Are you eligible for a Railcard?

Railcards can save you 1/3 off your ticket and cost usually £28 for a full year or £65 for 3 years (that’s £21.66 per year) these are great value for long distance journeys if you don’t travel often enough to warrant a season ticket. Here are some of the Railcards that you may be eligible for;

You can find all the information on these cards and purchase them directly from the Railcard site.

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