SCOTRAIL has claimed it doesn't charge commuters extra to travel at peak times, instead offering "a discount to travel at quieter times".

ScotRail posted the odd tweet in response to Twitter user Cuthbert who said: "I'm in Edinburgh today for a conference and it finishes just in time for @ScotRail's ridiculous peak time price hike so you bet your ass I'm just going to be sitting in Waverley for two and half hours looking cross and stubborn."

When journalist Ross McCafferty asked if this was a joke, the railway responded: "No, we don't charge extra at peak times, Ross. Standard Anytime fare applies. Off-peak fares are discounted, to encourage travel at quieter times of the day."

Also known as charging extra for peak time tickets.

Ryan Vance said "The worrying thing about this, from a customer's perspective, is that discounts are generally temporary or at the provider's discretion - they are, by definition, not standard. By making the majority of your service discounted you open doubt as to the reliability of your service.

"Especially cuz trains running at "peak time" are in reality quieter cuz fewer afford to pay the higher cost and stay sitting in the station until the (ahem) "discount" kicks in, as the OP pointed out. So the "standard fare" peak time is the quieter time that should be discounted."

Adding fuel to the fire, a ScotRail representative patronisingly explained that peak times are "the busiest time on the railway".

Twitter users were quick to mock the railway's ridiculous exchange with customers.

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9. The level of spin was even compared to Tory leader Theresa May.

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