ScotRail has scrapped the peak-fare pilot scheme following "limited success" from passengers.
The scheme which saw ticket prices subsidised by the Scottish Government and standardised across the day will be scrapped in September. Critics have described the decision as a "hammer blow" for commuters.
Due to financial pressures, analysis by the body recommended scrapping the scheme and increasing fares on popular routes like Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Liz Cameron, the chief executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said that commuters struggling with the cost of living crisis will now also have hundreds of pounds added onto their travel costs because of the reintroduction of peak-time fares.
“This impact will not only be felt in wallets but on offices and high streets across Scotland,” she said. “Cheaper commuter rail tickets support staff coming into the office, improve face-to-face collaboration [and] mental health, and boost the local economies of towns and cities.
“The peak-time fares policy has resulted in an increase in rail passengers. This increase has likely been limited due to emergency timetables and unreliability issues pushing other commuters away at the same time.”
The Transport Secretary, Fiona Hyslop said there was a increase of around 6.8% of passenger levels during the pilot but that number would need to be over 10% for the policy to be self-financing.
She said the pilot "primarily benefitted existing train passengers and those with medium to higher incomes".
The six month scheme was announced in October 2023 but was extended to the end of September by First Minister John Swinney back in May.
The scheme saw cost of a rush hour ticket between Edinburgh and Glasgow almost halved from £28.90 to £14.90.
The decision to scrap the pilot at the end of September will increase the price of a top fare by 8.6% to £31.40.