Will the Rail Fare Freeze Affect Scotland - Not Unless Scottish Govrnment Copies The English Position

23rd November 2025

The UK Government's rail fare freeze announced this week applies only to England and English train operators. Scotland's rail services are run by ScotRail, which has been publicly owned by the Scottish Government since 2022. That means Holyrood sets its own fare policy.

What this means for Scotland
ScotRail fares are separate - The freeze in England does not automatically apply north of the border.

Scottish Government policy
In recent years, ScotRail has introduced its own measures, such as:

Freezing off‑peak fares for certain periods.

Rolling out pilot schemes like the "Peak Fares Removal" trial (2023-24), which scrapped peak pricing on many routes.

Future decisions - Whether fares rise or freeze in 2026 will depend on the Scottish Government’s budget priorities, not Westminster’s announcement.

Will Scottish passengers feel the same benefit?
If Holyrood chooses to mirror the freeze, commuters could see similar savings.

If not, Scottish rail users may face increases while English passengers don’t, which could fuel political debate about fairness and devolved choices.

The UK rail fare freeze does not automatically cover Scotland. ScotRail fares are set by the Scottish Government, so whether Scottish passengers benefit depends entirely on Holyrood’s next transport policy decision.

Scottish passengers won’t directly benefit from Westminster’s rail fare freeze, because ScotRail is under Holyrood’s control. But in practice, Scotland already has a more radical policy—abolishing peak fares altogether—so many commuters are better off than their English counterparts.