ScotRail has recorded its busiest day of 2025 to date, with around 340,000 journeys being made across Scotland’s Railway on Saturday 8 November.
The record number of journeys (337,441) exceeded previous peaks achieved in August during the Oasis concerts and the Edinburgh Festivals, which saw around 326,000 journeys made. It also marks the train operator’s second-busiest day under public ownership, which began in April 2022.
A sell-out match at Scottish Gas Murrayfield between the Scotland men’s rugby union team and New Zealand played a key role in driving demand, with thousands of fans choosing to travel by train.
Additional ScotRail staff were deployed at key locations across the network to support customers, carry out ticket checks, and help reduce instances of ticketless travel.
From 1 September, peak fares were scrapped for good for customers travelling on ScotRail services.
In a first for rail travel anywhere in Britain, the Scottish Government policy has made train fares simpler, more flexible, and better value for money, encouraging more people to leave the car at home and travel by rail instead.
Removing peak fares has meant significant savings for customers across the country, with some journeys reduced by almost 50% – including those between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
ScotRail believes the removal of peak fares may also have contributed to the increase in journeys last Saturday, with early indications showing more customers using their season tickets for leisure travel as well as commuting during the week.
Major events are a key focus for ScotRail, with tailored travel plans, additional services, and extra carriages helping customers get to and from Scotland’s biggest sporting and cultural occasions safely and reliably.
David Ross, ScotRail chief operating officer, said: “It was fantastic to see so many people choosing to travel with ScotRail on Saturday – our busiest day of the year.
“Our teams worked hard to deliver additional capacity and support the huge numbers travelling to the rugby and across the country.
“Major events are a big part of what we do, and it’s always great to see Scotland’s Railway playing its part in helping people come together to enjoy these occasions.
“With another packed week ahead, including Scotland’s match against Argentina at Murrayfield on Sunday, and the national football team’s game against Denmark on Tuesday, we’re ready once again to get fans to and from the action.”
Image credit: ScotRail
