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."
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.
— Cuthbert (@acuthberto) May 9, 2019
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.
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. ^CT
— ScotRail (@ScotRail) 9 May 2019
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."
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.
— Ryan Vance (@ryanjjvance) 9 May 2019
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.
— Ryan Vance (@ryanjjvance) 9 May 2019
Adding fuel to the fire, a ScotRail representative patronisingly explained that peak times are "the busiest time on the railway".
Do you think I've not taken the train before? Everyone rushes to get the cheaper fares either side of "peak time" and those trains are packed, the times I've had to travel on the more expensive ticket, the carriages had plenty of empty seats.
— Ryan Vance (@ryanjjvance) 9 May 2019
Twitter users were quick to mock the railway's ridiculous exchange with customers.
1.
Travel is FREE on @ScotRail trains, so long as you buy a ticket! https://t.co/1mCxN44Xfh
— Michael MacLeod (@MichaelMacLeod1) 9 May 2019
2.
Scotrail: The Banter Years https://t.co/emFnogUtRi
— Chris McQueer (@ChrisMcQueer_) 9 May 2019
3.
😂 absolute peak Scotrail https://t.co/Fkogxworo4
— Liam Young (@The_Liam_Young) 9 May 2019
4.
Surely it costs the same to tun the train regardless of time of day?
— Chaotic (Slightly Less) Miserable (@Cold_Fury1872) 9 May 2019
If you can afford to discount it at "off peak" times then it must be affordable to use that price at all times?
5.
This is a remarkable reply..! Some amount of spin put on the truth here. #scotrail #railway https://t.co/o05cbXYuDj
— Rob Murray (@robmurray11) 9 May 2019
6.
still reeling from the absolute brass neck of this https://t.co/4mVB6uPDBt
— Miracle Jim no Bassing Beat (@letshugbro) 9 May 2019
7.
Scotrail in a tweet 😂😂😂 https://t.co/Y2HFxzoVcV
— Ivan Armstrong (@ivanarmstrong90) May 9, 2019
8.
Get absolutely fucked, Scotrail https://t.co/7EM7wgnCvz
— Scott Murphy (@scott_m87) May 9, 2019
9. The level of spin was even compared to Tory leader Theresa May.
Is Theresa May running the Scotrail twitter account today?
— LBnotesD7 (@LBnotesD7) May 9, 2019
10.
— Devlin (@Dev_Chelios) May 9, 2019
11.
This is a remarkable reply..! Some amount of spin put on the truth here. #scotrail #railway https://t.co/o05cbXYuDj
— Rob Murray (@robmurray11) May 9, 2019
12.
Scotrail's thought process before yet another PR disaster tweet pic.twitter.com/hSh8bsYVBt
— Scottish Fulms📽🏴 (@scottish_fulms) May 9, 2019
13.
Please can someone turn this into the funniest transport-related news story ever?
— Darren Loki McGarvey (@lokiscottishrap) May 9, 2019
BREAKING: Scotrail gaslights commuter in mind-bending peak-fare fiasco. https://t.co/loTf8PTo4C
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