The Scottish Greens have proposed the creation of a new universal railcard.
Under the party’s plans, the green commuter railcard would cost £35 a year and would save Scots one-third on all their journeys.
The Greens said that while current rail discounts are usually tied to things such as age, this new card would be eligible to anyone.
It said it would be modelled on the existing Network Railcard in the south east of England, which is designed to encourage regular travellers to take the train rather than drive and which saves average cardholders around £154 a year.
Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer said: “Scotland has some of the most expensive trains in Europe.
“That cost is stopping a lot of regular commuters from choosing rail.
“That’s why the Scottish Greens abolished peak rail fares and it’s why we will introduce a green commuter card.
“This card will immediately bring down the cost of catching the train, putting money back in people’s pockets and helping them to leave the car at home.
“It will also cut costs for families and people who simply want to explore Scotland but are put off by the eye-watering costs.
“The Scottish Greens have a strong track record of cutting transport costs.
“We scrapped peak rail fares and delivered free bus travel for everyone under 22. This card would build on that success.
“A vote for the Scottish Greens on May 7th is a vote to demand better and cheaper train travel.”
A Scottish Labour transport spokesperson said: “The Greens can’t deliver change in this election – they can only help the SNP and deliver more of the same.
“To deliver change, improve Scotland’s railways and make life more affordable, vote Scottish Labour on Thursday.”
Kaukab Stewart, the SNP’s candidate for Glasgow Southside, said: “Under the SNP, Scotland is the only part of the UK to have scrapped peak rail fares, saving commuters thousands each year. From April, we went even further by freezing fares on the publicly owned Scotrail network for the next year.
“Because we are fully focused on supporting people with the cost of living, a re-elected SNP government will build on the success of our free bus travel for under-22s and over-60s by rolling out a £2 bus fare cap across Scotland.
“That’s the sort of action you get from John Swinney’s reliable, trusted leadership.
“The best way to get a government which supports people with the cost of living and delivers the fresh start of independence is to vote for an SNP majority on Thursday.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Jamie Greene said: “The SNP and Greens love to promise bucketloads of freebies, with next to no detail on how it will all be funded. It’s just not serious.
“It’s also pointless to roll out railcards if people don’t have the rail links to be able to use them.
“Scots deserve sensible politics that targets money at the people and communities who need it most. That’s why Scottish Liberal Democrats will connect more communities to the rail network and open new stations where transport links are poor.
“We will also establish a commuter-friendly guarantee so that timetable changes don’t scupper your means of getting to work.
“You can vote to make those plans a reality by backing us on your second, peach, regional ballot paper.”
