ScotRail - New app / website booking engine from 30 July 2026

[OscarH]

Joined up thinking would've been as follows: wait until both the Commonwealth Games and the Fringe were in the rear-view mirror before rolling out a new ticketing app for the primary railway operator in the country, thus avoiding a PR nightmare when the new app inevitably has early-day problems

They probably could have timed it better, but this isn't "inevitable early-day problems" - this is completely untested and poorly thought out

 

[talldave]

They probably could have timed it better, but this isn't "inevitable early-day problems" - this is completely untested and poorly thought out

It's hard to think of another industry that could muster up such mind-blowing levels of incompetence. It'll be interesting to see how many people get fired for this; I would imagine precisely zero.

I hope all the people who have been wetting themselves with anticipation of our faux nationalisation kicking in are paying attention. This is no surprise for an industry run by public sector incompetents - at least the evil private sector was answerable to shareholders.

 

[speedy1]

Based on the issues reported here, in my opinion they've crossed the threshold for reverting to the old system and app. It seems so fundamentally broken

 

[Sleepy]

But can you get "free" 1st class tickets on it ? but seriously have Silver rail not learned anything from the GWR shambles ??

 

[scosutsut]

Based on the issues reported here, in my opinion they've crossed the threshold for reverting to the old system and app. It seems so fundamentally broken

Oh 100% but I doubt they'll want to admit the scale of the failure.

My friend bought a return on it yesterday and after using the first part of the ticket, it disappeared from the app and his account forcing him to buy another single. He's been told to phone for a refund.

Another thing I've found, since deleting the app in disgust that doesn't work is account deletion on mobile browser. You have to delete it from the app.

If this was tested in any meaningful way before it was launched then I am an Apache attack helicopter. The incompetence is absolutely staggering.

 

[teaspoon]

Tried the app today, took the money right away, got this screen - 2 hours later no tickets and the trains been and gone

I've heard a few ticket inspectors over the past day or two resignedly asking people to try logging out and in again. Don't think they realised they'd signed up to be tech support.

I also spotted a chap in hi-vis on the platform at Dalmarnock today with a badge identifying him as head of revenue protection - I'd imagine the Commonwealth Games means there's a lot of high heid yins on the front line this week, which should hopefully mean they're getting to see the problems first hand, even if they're not in the best position to fix them.

 

[aaronspence]

I've heard a few ticket inspectors over the past day or two resignedly asking people to try logging out and in again. Don't think they realised they'd signed up to be tech support.

I also spotted a chap in hi-vis on the platform at Dalmarnock today with a badge identifying him as head of revenue protection - I'd imagine the Commonwealth Games means there's a lot of high heid yins on the front line this week, which should hopefully mean they're getting to see the problems first hand, even if they're not in the best position to fix them.

Yeh I do feel sorry for the ticket inspectors, they are frontline listening to the chaos its caused. Thankfully in both journeys, simply saying to them 'the app wasnt working' was enough for them to wave me along without much fuss.

Wonder how much money Scotrail is potentially losing with refunds etc or people trying to take advantage of this.

 

[OscarH]

But can you get "free" 1st class tickets on it ? but seriously have Silver rail not learned anything from the GWR shambles ??

Is there any reason for them to learn or care? Clearly no pride has been taken in the work, and they're probably getting paid still

 

[alistairlees]

It looks like TfL have now extended one of the tube lines to Luton Airport. Anyone know which one?



There's also a location called "Luton Airport Parkway DART" (sic) which is an 11-minute walk from Luton Airport Parkway, apparently.

 

[Carntyne]

It is staggering that they're still denying there are major issues. Customer service, Scotrail style

ScotRail (@ScotRail) on X

@LilianS54 Hi Lilian, sorry if you feel I wasted 10 seconds of my time resharing that post. Can you DM us with the problem you are experiencing please and I will take a look. A small number of people are experiencing issues, which are under investigation, but the app is working for most of...

x.com

 

[superkopite]

It is staggering that they're still denying there are major issues. Customer service, Scotrail style

ScotRail (@ScotRail) on X

@LilianS54 Hi Lilian, sorry if you feel I wasted 10 seconds of my time resharing that post. Can you DM us with the problem you are experiencing please and I will take a look. A small number of people are experiencing issues, which are under investigation, but the app is working for most of...

x.com

I was flabbergasted when I read that

 

[speedy1]

In my experience "a small number" is a common mandated "line" from the top ...

The whole roll out of such a poor project is scripted and coordinated. Seen it many times

 

[alan25]

But can you get "free" 1st class tickets on it ? but seriously have Silver rail not learned anything from the GWR shambles ??

Seriosuly!? They have really screwed up lol….

 

[davp]

Scotrail's governance around this is unacceptable. Where was the urgency to change app provider? Did someone in the office try the new app and thought it was alright so that was the testing part signed off? They are using Mailgun for the email processing of password resets, I wonder if they forgot to upgrade from the free plan?

They emailed me a few days ago to say that Smartcard tickets can only be brought from machines or ticket offices for the foreseeable future (not from the website or the app). So they did have some thought processes about potential impact, but not about managing a large volume of password resets within a few hours, entirely caused by their own timetabling.

I feel proper sorry for their staff on the front line and social media. I imagine there hasn't been a run on minimum fares this week.

 

[Strathclyder]

They probably could have timed it better, but this isn't "inevitable early-day problems" - this is completely untested and poorly thought out

Perhaps I did understate just how woeful it's really been and the outright denial that's coming out of ScR over this, just a little. My fault for not seeing that. Guess that's what happens when you're a bloody-minded luddiite like me who rarely if ever uses digital ticketing sites, but then again, farces like this one don't exactly encourage me to use them more often.

 

[yorkie]

Tried the app today, took the money right away, got this screen - 2 hours later no tickets and the trains been and gone

Have you put in a request for a refund? Let us know how that goes!

Hopefully you were able to buy the tickets using a functional website (such as the forum's!)

 

[EarthlikeCloud]

One thing that confuses me, is the old app and website were visibly Trainline, while this looks nothing like other SilverRail-based apps. Did they purposefully take a backed-only service from SilverRail and develop the frontend in-house (or had a cheaper third party do it), or does SilverRail only do backend anyway?

I suppose if they got a cheap contractor from abroad for the frontend, with no experience of UK railways at all, that would sort of explain the unacceptable intended UX. The abysmal quality is another thing entirely.

 

[Furrball]

I feel sorry for the social media team that are having to churn out the company line despite the irrefutable evidence that the app is pants!

 

[kkong]

The app allows you to select a station group as the origin for Live Trains.

Entering "115" as per the example given earlier in this thread for Manchester Stations and tapping "Show Departures" results in the (now expected) result of the app immediately bombing out.

Entering "81" for Glasgow Central / Queen Street shows a list combining departures from both GLC and GLQ, but you have to tap on each departure to see which station it leaves from.

 

[sannox]

I found the ScotRail app good for split ticketing but that appears to have gone missing.

2 two together tickets from Glasgow to Aberdeen is £87 in the old app and £102 in new app.

The new app also defaults to singles and return has to be selected, no doubt loads of people will accidentally buy 2 singles by accident esp at stations in Glasgow where the single is the same as the ruturn.

This is untested garbage no doubt looking for a cheaper supplier.

 

[Goldfish62]

I found the ScotRail app good for split ticketing but that appears to have gone missing.

That was the one of the main reasons I used the ScotRail app, the other being that it was easy and intuitive. But as you say split ticketing has now gone, despite their claims that the new app still has it.

 

[Adam Williams]

Treating split ticketing as a binary thing that's either present or not present is part of the problem. There is a world of difference between the quality of split ticketing offered - and the amount of money the customer therefore saves - by the likes of Trainline and SilverRail, and what you'll get from a FastJP-powered (Raileasy, TrainSplit) retailer.

 

[Goldfish62]

Treating split ticketing as a binary thing that's either present or not present is part of the problem. There is a world of difference between the quality of split ticketing offered - and the amount of money the customer therefore saves - by the likes of Trainline and SilverRail, and what you'll get from a FastJP-powered (Raileasy, TrainSplit) retailer.

Using the old app I can get a split ticket for a particular journey. On the new app I can't for exactly the same journey, despite ScotRail claiming that the new app still has it. Clearly they don't know just how broken the app is.

 

[Busman652004]

Has anyone seen anything from Scotrail listing the benefits of the new app ? As someone not keen on apps I thought that the old version was excellent and used it across the network including recently for journeys in Cornwall and the Bristol area.

Now I am no longer able to save my railcard details and have to enter my payment details for each journey. How is that progess? Planning a couple of journeys from Falkirk Stations only gave the option of Falkirk High and not Grahamston.

For the two cross Glasgow journeys I've made with the new app buying the tickets was straightforward although more time consuming than before. There were no issues on the outward journeys but my returns from Paisley and Maxwell Park wouldnt activate. Staff at both Central and Queen Street let me through the barriers without even looking at my phone saying that they had been dealing with this issue all day. Similarly on train staff had no issue with my explanation.

Hopefully Scotrail will soon tell us why this app is such an improvement and why it needed to be introduced before any real world trial or testing. Hopefully the contract allows for heavy financial penalties on the developers which the Scottish Government will ensure are applied. They voluntarily took on the running of Scotrail and the responsibility for sorting these things out.

 

[kkong]

Useful "service alert" about the status of the lifts at James Street (Wirral bound) for this journey from Stromness Aberdeen to London Euston.

 

[MadCommuter]

For flexi tickets, I presume I have no option but to download the new (cr)app?

 

[Hadders]

For flexi tickets, I presume I have no option but to download the new (cr)app?

Other retailers, with better app user interfaces, are available...

 

[megabusser]

Has anyone seen anything from Scotrail listing the benefits of the new app ? As someone not keen on apps I thought that the old version was excellent and used it across the network including recently for journeys in Cornwall and the Bristol area.

Now I am no longer able to save my railcard details and have to enter my payment details for each journey. How is that progess? Planning a couple of journeys from Falkirk Stations only gave the option of Falkirk High and not Grahamston.

For the two cross Glasgow journeys I've made with the new app buying the tickets was straightforward although more time consuming than before. There were no issues on the outward journeys but my returns from Paisley and Maxwell Park wouldnt activate. Staff at both Central and Queen Street let me through the barriers without even looking at my phone saying that they had been dealing with this issue all day. Similarly on train staff had no issue with my explanation.

Hopefully Scotrail will soon tell us why this app is such an improvement and why it needed to be introduced before any real world trial or testing. Hopefully the contract allows for heavy financial penalties on the developers which the Scottish Government will ensure are applied. They voluntarily took on the running of Scotrail and the responsibility for sorting these things out.

If you like the old app interface, Northern’s app looks to be very similar. I don’t think it does splits unfortunately.

Not aware of any TrainLine-powered app that does their splits and no booking fee now?

 

[MadCommuter]

Other retailers, with better app user interfaces, are available...

That's good to hear. Could you suggest one that sells ScotRail flexi tickets please?

I've tried Northern but that doesn't offer the flexipass ticket (12 singles)

 

[Hadders]

That's good to hear. Could you suggest one that sells ScotRail flexi tickets please?

I've tried Northern but that doesn't offer the flexipass ticket (12 singles)

Apologies, I misunderstood what you were asking for.