According to Transport Scotland, the £40 million trial, which was funded by the Scottish government, “did not achieve its aims” of persuading more people to take the train rather than drive their automobiles.
The program was extended beyond its original six-month duration and started in October of last year. Now, it will terminate on September 27.
During the trial, a rush hour ticket between Glasgow and Edinburgh cost £14.90 instead of £28.90. The fare will rise to £31.40 after the experiment.
The cost of a ticket between Glasgow and Stirling decreased from £16.10 to £9.60, while the tariff between Inverness and Elgin decreased from £22 to £14.40.
The move has been dubbed a “hammer blow” to passengers and the environment by critics.
According to analysis, existing train users and those with middle-class or higher salaries benefited most from the trial, according to Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop.
The plan would need a 10% rise in order to be self-financing, even though passenger levels grew to a maximum of about 6.8%.
Speaking about the cost of living crisis, Ms. Hyslop stated: “While the pilot will have been helpful in saving many passengers hundreds, even thousands of pounds, this level of subsidy cannot continue in the current financial climate on that measure alone.”
