THE trial scrapping of peak fares by Scotrail has been welcomed by Fife MSP Claire Baker.

The Labour politician says she hopes the scheme will lead to a plan making rail travel a more affordable and viable way of travel.

Scotrail announced the fare scheme this week which will see from October 2, customers being able to travel at any time of the day for the same price as an off-peak ticket.

The Scottish Government-funded project lasts until the end of March 2024 and will see Fifers benefit.

READ MORE: ScotRail to drop train prices between Fife and Edinburgh for six-month trial

The price of a day-long ticket between Inverkeithing and Edinburgh will be reduced from £11.10, the current price for an Anytime Day Return, to £6.50, the cost of an Off-Peak Day Return.

Journeys between the capital and Dunfermline will be priced at £7.50, down from £12.40, while from Aberdour it will cost £8.40 and from Rosyth, Dalgety Bay and North Queensferry customers will pay £6.40.

READ MORE: Passengers "packed like sardines" on Inverkeithing train

Ms Baker was pleased to see details confirmed.

“After all the confusion from the Scottish Government over how and when this pilot would run it is welcome that we now have a date set for it to begin,” she said.

“I also welcome that the scheme will cover Mid Scotland and Fife rail routes and include both morning and evening peak periods.

“However, this year we have already seen rail fares increase by almost 5%, despite ongoing problems with delays and overcrowding, and any reduction in cost for rail travel needs to be longer term if it is to encourage more people to use trains.

“I look forward to hearing more about how the pilot scheme will be evaluated and used to create a long-term plan that makes rail travel more affordable and a viable alternative to car use.”

Announcing the pilot scheme earlier this week, Scotrail’s Managing Director, Alex Hynes, said: "This is a hugely exciting opportunity for Scotland’s Railway to encourage more people across the country to choose rail travel instead of using the car.

"Everyone at ScotRail is working hard to make sure that this six-month trial will be a success, and we will be monitoring our services and stations daily to see where we have any significant increases in customer journeys.

"We know that cost and simplicity is a critical factor for people when they choose how to travel, and we are looking forward to delivering this fantastic fare reduction for our customers."