Revealed: Rail fares cost some Scots a fifth of their wage

Scottish Labour’s research shows someone on the typical gross salary in Scotland travelling 47 miles from Edinburgh to Glasgow Central would have to pay about £380 per month for a season ticket.

In comparison, a worker commuting 30 miles from Etampes to Paris would spend 2 per cent of France’s average monthly pay on tickets, at £66.

Labour’s Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity Colin Smyth said: “SNP Ministers are presiding over a great train robbery – passengers are having their pockets picked in comparison to commuters on the continent.

“Passengers are paying a fortune, often for delayed and overcrowded trains and when their train isn’t cancelled they can’t be even be guaranteed to stop at the stations they are supposed to.

A spokesman for Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said suitability of existing public sector bodies to bid for such a contract is being considered.

The Scottish Government is also looking at what steps would be necessary to create a new body, if needed. He added: “Scotland has the lowest rail fares increase in the UK.”