Rail passengers could be set for ticketless travel thanks to a new app.
ScotRail is working on a new system which would allow passengers to travel on services without the need to buy a ticket.
The train operator is working on an as-yet unnamed system in which a passengers destination would be verified via GPS as they reached their destination.
The news comes as fresh data released from the Scottish Conservatives revealed nearly 27,500 rail services have been cancelled in the two-year period since ScotRail was nationalised.
In the 2023/24 financial year, up to the end of February, 12,416 trains were cancelled. A further 15,013 were cancelled the year prior.
Cancellations pre-nationalisation were at 14,935 in 2019/20, showing the trend has continued.
ScotRail said its passenger numbers had increased by around 75% in the last year, boosting the number from 46.7 million in 2021/22 to around 82 million in 2023/24.
New app
The concept of the new app - which reportedly could be called Rail as You Go - is set to be rested on a select number of passengers.
"Customers will download an app and fill in their preferred payment method – they’ll just do this once," the company told those taking part.
"When the customer arrives at the station, they’ll tap ‘Begin Journey’ on the app, and confirm their location via a prompt.
"A barcode pass will then be generated – this is basically the ticket for travel, and that’s what’s used to pass through the station gate and show the ticket examiners.
"There’s no further action to be taken after that. The app will automatically recognise the end of your journey and will check for the cheapest fare available before taking payment."
ScotRail said staff would test it first, followed by some passengers.
Tories call for 'tap in-tap-out' system
The Scottish Conservatives has since called for the operator to mimic the system used in the London underground.
"This sounds interesting, although it is not too different to the ScotRail app at the moment in that you would still need to use your phone to tap in and out of certain stations," said Scottish Conservatives transport spokesperson Graham Simpson.
"We have been calling for a system where you could tap in and out using your bank card, therefore doing away with the need to have an app.
"Transport Scotland should be more ambitious though, and go to companies who can provide multi-modal apps working along similar lines.
"That's where we need to get to – and the technology exists. But anything that makes life easier for passengers is worth exploring."