ScotRail Reviews 

After a total of 23 recent journeys, Scotrail trains have 0 charging points that work. Not a single one. Also deceptive pricing options for some single vs return tickets and you can't get a refund on the vast majority of tickets, even weeks ahead

Extremely Disappointing Experience

Travelled from Dundee to Edinburgh today (22 September 2026, 6:31 AM). It was my first time travelling this route. I had already purchased my ticket through TrainPal but accidentally left it inside the barrier at Dundee.

I explained everything to the ScotRail staff and showed proof of purchase, but they refused to accept it and repeatedly told me to get off or buy another ticket. As a student travelling to university, this caused me significant stress and financial difficulty. I was forced to purchase another ticket for £16.55.

I expected understanding and professional customer service, but unfortunately, I felt completely unsupported. I hope ScotRail investigates this incident and improves how staff treat passengers.

I'm so annoyed with ScotRail, I bought a Club50 Railcard at the time I wanted to use it and then went to book my train through Club50 and it wouldn't give me the discount. I called up and they couldn't give me the discount either. I don't use the train that often and so the Club 50 card is now unused and ScotRail won't offer a refund for something through no fault if my own I couldn't use. poor customer service and I don't even know if legally they can do that.

After waiting 4(four] years for an answer to my complaint about staff attitudes at Edinburgh Waverly train station (barrier staff)
My disabled son fell trying to pass through a barrier, the 'staff' ignored him, but reached over to push a button and open the closed barriers so they must have seen him fall, but instead of halting their conversation they pushed a button.
As a result my son now refuses to use any train
My thanks to the two American lady passengers who helped my son.
I have repeatedly sent emails with all details asked for to scotrail, but l have shown patience because of the rail disputes, covid and empty promises
I have had to accept the date because it does not go back to September 2022

Another day, another delay with this failure of an operation. Once again, due to sitting on the approach tracks into Glasgow Central, going nowhere, I had to run through a busy Central Station to make my connection, which I caught with about ten seconds to spare. Only for the same thing to happen on my connecting train. Sat on the tracks leaving Central, going nowhere, so overall was late arriving at my destination and missed an important event.

Just drive, despite the congestion it's still better than wasting your time and money on this cowboy outfit...

The sockets don’t work 😂

Absolute mess of a company - new app experience is awful, purchased tickets disappear, staff say "Call customer service". Short trains during peak hours leave standing room only. Poorly managed. Avoid where possible

Absolutely absurd experience on the Edinburgh to Dunfermline service. The train had three carriages, yet the entire middle carriage was taken out of use because the lights weren’t working. The apparent “safer” solution was to force everyone into the remaining two carriages until we were quite literally packed in like sardines.

And I don’t use that expression lightly. We were packed so tightly that I physically could not turn my body sideways. People could not move. There wasn’t simply a shortage of seats or people standing in the aisles — passengers were pressed together with virtually no room to reposition themselves. Several women immediately around me were visibly struggling with anxiety and panic because of how claustrophobic and completely trapped everyone felt. It was an absolutely horrendous way to transport people.

If taking an unlit carriage out of service is required by railway safety rules, then ScotRail management seriously needs to reconsider how the consequences of that decision are handled. Applying a safety rule to the letter while creating another situation where hundreds of people are packed together so tightly that they cannot even turn their bodies seems completely asinine.

This was also during daylight, with natural light coming through the windows. Yet somehow an empty carriage without functioning electric lights was deemed a greater safety concern than cramming passengers into two carriages to the point where they physically could not move.

I would genuinely like someone from ScotRail management to explain the risk assessment behind this. What if there had been an emergency requiring people to move or evacuate quickly? When passengers are packed so tightly that they cannot even turn around, how exactly is that considered an acceptable safety situation?

Safety regulations obviously exist for good reason, but blindly following one rule while seemingly ignoring the very obvious and immediate problem it creates elsewhere is bureaucracy over common sense. If one-third of a train has to be taken out of service, there needs to be a proper contingency for the resulting overcrowding — not simply forcing everyone into whatever space remains until people are panicking and physically unable to move.

Completely unacceptable, and something ScotRail management should seriously review before this happens again.

Possibly the worst app update in history. Every element is worse, and I can't even make payment with a bank card anymore!

Awful company. Trains leave early for no reason on key routes for no reason, routinely late and cancelled last minute. 6 train carriages down to 3 when busy events are on. Poor service, poor value. Glasgow Queen Street staff are useless.

Unbelievable company, a shambles.

I bought an anytime day ticket to Edinburgh this morning at 08:20 to attend a face-to-face business meeting. My train was due to leave at 10.47 from Larbert.

15mins after purchase my meeting was pushed back until Monday next week, I went on the ScotRail’s App to amend my booking and surprise surprise you can not amend an anytime day ticket on the same day of departure.

I then tried to secure a refund but you can only secure a refund before 23:59 the previous day, somewhat disgusting in my view, (most rail journeys are impromptu and not really planned days let alone weeks ahead.).

I then read the terms and condition of the refunds, it clearly states that there is a £5 “Administrative” fee if you seek a refund before the deadline, where is there any administrative work for refunds in today’s society….????????

Most of the tickets bought are now via Websites, Apps or Platform Ticket Machines.

This is a total farce, ScotRail, Scottish Rail Holdings should be ashamed of themselves.

Nothing more than another hidden tax.

It will be very interesting to see if someone from the 2 associated parties above reach out to address the comments in this review.

I think they will not..!!!!!

John Irvine

Their new app is horrible! Doesn't show live platforms so you need to have extra time to prepare to find it. Their trains are dirty and unkempt but ofc Their prices are expensive. Typical, isn it

It is now become a weekly occurrence that trains are being cancelled due to a faults on the train. It defeats the point of getting the early train to work if they are never turning up.

No Ventilation, the Scottish trains are too hot inside and stink cannabis, vape and the carriages that has toilet smell.

NO VENTILATION INSIDE SCOTRAIL TRAINS

Bring your own portable fan if travelling by train in Scotland. There is not ventilation inside Scotrail trains.

Absolute shambles of company they have people working for them with no customer care wot so ever foreigners huffing and puffing down the phone when asked for my refund due to 1 train been changed without any notification at last minute, then got to another station to change train and all of sudden we were at told to leave train as there was no conductor with no explanation or anything, this should not be happening in this day and age. The customer is always right and always will be. Certain staff members will be making complaint about and they have cheeky patronising young ones who have no clue. Think this scotrail should be looked into as they are starting to abuse their customers and being lied to

A step backwards in terms of searching for trains

I am trying to find trains and book tickets on Scotrail for a return trip but just keep going round in circles on their website. What a terrible ticketing system. I have given up.

Upon arriving at Dunfermline City station, I was met by the ticket office clerk who was engaged in a continuous conversation with another individual for a full three minutes, during which he paid me no attention whatsoever. Following this three-minute period, I proceeded to inquire about my desired destination and presented my 26 to 30 railcard to the clerk.
Directly following my acquisition of the train ticket, I courteously inquired with him about the appropriate route to access the platform designated for trains heading to Edinburgh. In response to my query, he unfortunately indicated the incorrect path, which subsequently resulted in my failure to board my scheduled train.

I had been hoping to be able to board the train scheduled for 10:30 (from Dunfermline City) which was bound for Edinburgh, as I had a subsequent connection booked with Lumo from Edinburgh to London Kings Cross. Consequently, instead of waiting for the next available Lumo service that would take me to London, which was scheduled to depart at 15:26, I was compelled to pay a significant amount, nearly sixty British pounds, for a one-way ticket on an LNER train service to Kings Cross station.

I arrived late to the station. I tried to run for my train but the doors had been closed.
I was distraught as I was going to be late for a meeting. A conductor named Sora approached me. She was kind and helpful. She brought out her timetable and helped me find the next train to Perth. She told me the time for the next train, the time it arrived in Perth and the platform I should be at. When I came back to station, she was at the gate smiling. She reassured me and made sure I was okay before I got on the train. This situation might not seem like much, but I'm a nervous traveller and she showed kindness and compassion when I felt very vulnerable. She deserves recognition. Thank you Sora. X

I’m extremely disappointed with ScotRail and the way I’ve been treated today.

I had a return ticket booked for today, but unfortunately became unwell and was unable to travel. As soon as I knew I couldn’t travel, I contacted ScotRail to ask if my ticket could be moved to tomorrow.

The new ScotRail app, which customers are continually encouraged to use, does not allow me to amend my ticket. I therefore contacted customer services, only to be repeatedly told that the ticket could not be amended and that I should have amended or cancelled it the day before.

I genuinely don’t understand how that is supposed to work when someone becomes unexpectedly unwell. How am I meant to know the day before that I’m going to be ill?

The ticket has not been used and will remain unused, yet ScotRail are refusing to amend it or refund it. I have now had to purchase another ticket for tomorrow, meaning I am effectively paying twice for a journey because ScotRail will not allow an unused ticket to be moved to the date I actually need to travel.

What makes this even more frustrating is that I had the exact same issue on 24/07 and another ScotRail employee dealt with it for me by refunding my unused ticket. I provided evidence of this, but today’s staff simply told me that it wasn’t possible.

I also asked to speak to a supervisor/manager and was repeatedly told that this wasn’t possible.

I’ve now contacted ScotRail Complaints and asked for the matter to be escalated, but I’ve been told I may have to wait 5–10 working days for a response. That is an unacceptable timescale when the issue concerns a ticket for travel today and I have already been left financially out of pocket.

I appreciate that ticket terms and conditions exist, but there needs to be some common sense and consistency in how these situations are handled. If a customer becomes unexpectedly unwell, contacts ScotRail before travelling, and the ticket remains completely unused, telling them they should have cancelled it the day before is not a particularly helpful solution.

£9.80 might not seem like a lot to ScotRail, but it’s my money — and I shouldn’t have to lose it and then buy another ticket simply because your app doesn’t allow me to amend my booking and your customer service team won’t assist.

Very disappointing experience, particularly given that ScotRail previously resolved the exact same situation for me.