TRAIN fares are to increase in January for commuters and leisure travelers.

Regulated fares will rise by 2.8% it was announced.

It will put the cost of return tickets and monthly and annual season tickets up too.

It will mean the cost of a monthly season ticket between Glasgow and Edinburgh will rise to more than £400 and a monthly ticket between Glasgow and East Kilbride will cost more than £100.

Scotrail said the cash from fares is invested in the railways while The Scottish Government said any fares freeze would affect public spending.

ScotRail commercial director, Lesley Kane, said the Scottish Government decides how much passengers pay.

She said: “The money generated from fares is reinvested back into Scotland’s railway, including £475 million under Abellio in new and upgraded trains and improved punctuality, so that we can give our customers the service they expect and deserve.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said:”We are committed to ensuring that rail fares are affordable for passengers and taxpayers across Scotland.

“We have capped increases where we have influence, making fares 20% cheaper on average than in the rest of Great Britain.

“While any fare increase is unwelcome, calls for measures such as fares cuts or a fares freeze underestimate the impact of these on the public purse.”

Labour said it was more proof that railways should be under public.

Scottish Labour’s Transport spokesman Colin Smyth, said: “This rip off rail fare rise is unwanted, unwelcome and unnecessary and will hit thousands of working people who use Scotland’s railways to get to work.

“The UK and Scottish rail franchise system is broken. Only Scottish Labour will bring our railways back under public ownership to ensure that these rip off rail fares end and that our railways serve the many, not the few.”

return             new          monthly                 new

Glasgow to Edinburgh    25.50          26.20         392.10              403.00

Glasgow to East Kilbride  6.80            7.00           97.60              100.40                                        

Pollokshields East to Glasgow  2.50    2.60           35.80                 36.80       

Drumchapel to Glasgow          5.50    5.65           78.80                  81.00

Dalmuir to Glasgow                6.30     6.50           89.50                 92.00

Maryhill to Glasgow                4.20      4.30           59.60                61.10

Glasgow to Paisley                  5.80    5.95           86.10                 88.50

Easterhouse to Glasgow           5.30    5.45          74.50                 76.50

Glasgow to Helensburgh          10.90  11.20       156.00               160.30        

Largs to Glasgow                    15.30  15.70      226.20                232.50