Public survey results

The focus for the Transport Scotland data collection was to understand the wider impact of the Pilot on the transport network alongside existing rail customers. Two survey waves were completed. Wave 1 Survey fieldwork was during the first 3 months of the Trial - December 2023 and the survey was open for four weeks and 1476 responses were received. Wave 2 Survey fieldwork was conducted in July 2024 and 2248 responses were received. 

The TS online survey was designed to target four distinct population groups to understand the impact the Pilot had on; existing and new rail users as well as non-rail users.

(The four target groups included: Group 1 – Rail users, who do not change their behaviours; Group 2 – Rail users, who do change their behaviours; Group 3 – Non-Rail users, who do change their behaviours; Group 4 - Non-Rail users, who do not change their behaviours)

The surveys have identified some emerging evidence of sustained behaviour change arising from the Pilot, including shifting the time of travel from off-peak to peak and mode shift from car to rail. This evidence suggests around half (52%) of existing rail users who changed their behaviour because of the Pilot have made at least one rail journey that they previously made using another travel mode, with half of those journeys from car. Of those new rail passengers identified as switching from other modes, 54% had previously used a car as a driver, and a third had switched from bus. However, this is in the context of an increase in demand of 2.4% on the lower end and 6.8% at the higher end. – meaning the vast majority of passengers were existing rail users making existing journeys.

There is some moderate evidence that the Pilot has encouraged rail use amongst low to middle income households whilst primarily benefiting existing users who tended to be above average income. Despite this, from Wave 2 respondents, the benefits reported from making new trips by rail and switching from a different mode of travel were consistent across all household income bands. Higher income bands were more likely to be switching from private car (as a driver) compared to lower income groups who were likely to switch from bus. In terms of new trips, there was an increase in respondents making new trips between Wave 1 and Wave 2, but the frequency of these trips has decreased and are mainly cited as being for leisure rather than commuting purposes. 

There is strong evidence that the Pilot has helped existing users who are in work and encouraged greater rail travel amongst this group but has had a lower impact in encouraging full-time workers who did not use rail to use it. In terms of age, there is some, relatively weak evidence that the Pilot has encouraged older users to use rail when they didn’t before and has encouraged 31- to 40-year-old existing users to travel more by rail.

More detailed information from the survey is available in Annex C.