St Andrews ‘Railbus’ ticket

[Wuggie Norple]

I’m planning a day trip from Aberdeen to St Andrews, train to Leuchars and thence the bus from Leuchars to St Andrews Bus Station. I have a Senior Railcard. Travelling on 31.08.26. I do not qualify for free bus travel in Scotland.

According to Scotrail, there is a combined Rail and Bus ticket, aka Railbus ticket, and supposedly available online. However, I am struggling to get journey planners or BRFARES to offer me such a ticket at a fare that makes sense, if at all.

Booked separately, the rail element of the journey is £31.10, and a NE Fife Dayrider bus ticket is £9.40, a total of £40.50.

Were I to rock up to the ticket office at Aberdeen railway station and ask for a Standard Class Railbus ticket to St Andrews with a Senior Railcard, what fare might I be offered?

Nick M.

 

[LowLevel]

The issue appears to be that the Railbus portion of the fare is not senior railcard discountable, hence doesn't display any fares.

The Railbus fare seems to have most value as a return within a month period return rather than a day ticket with the supplement being £5.40 single or £10.80 return.

Therefore if you wanted a flexible day return from Aberdeen to St Andrews Bus for Monday I'd expect you to be offered by the ticket office:

£31.10 Senior Railcard Off Peak Return Aberdeen to Leuchars

£10.80 Leuchars to St Andrews Return RailBus ticket

Total £41.90

Obviously you could make it cheaper by factoring in advance fares with their specific train restrictions.

 

[Wuggie Norple]

The issue appears to be that the Railbus portion of the fare is not senior railcard discountable, hence doesn't display any fares.

The Railbus fare seems to have most value as a return within a month period return rather than a day ticket with the supplement being £5.40 single or £10.80 return.

Therefore if you wanted a flexible day return from Aberdeen to St Andrews Bus for Monday I'd expect you to be offered by the ticket office:

£31.10 Senior Railcard Off Peak Return Aberdeen to Leuchars

£10.80 Leuchars to St Andrews Return RailBus ticket

Total £41.90

Obviously you could make it cheaper by factoring in advance fares with their specific train restrictions.

Thanks for that. I need to have flexibility on the return journey, so Advance tickets would not work.

So it looks like buying the Dayrider ticket on the bus is the cheapest option.

I must admit that coming from Wales where I qualify for free bus travel, with occasional journeys in England with the £3 fare cap, the high cost of bus travel in Scotland was something of a shock! But I see that the Scottish Government is rolling out a £2 bus fare cap.

Nick M.

 

[Man of Kent]

Alternatively catch the train only as far as Dundee (£26.50) and travel by bus from there, as it is also within the North East Fife Dayrider area, giving a total cost of £35.90.
Bus 99 runs at least every 10 minutes: https://tiscon-maps-stagecoachbus.s...land/Fife/ESCOT_Fife_Service_99_Timetable.pdf

 

[ChrisC]

Splitting tickets at Stonehaven can save you quite a bit on the return fare to both Leuchars or Dundee. It brings the Aberdeen to Dundee return down to below £20. I think almost all trains stop at Stonehaven so no real problem. You can book your tickets on the forum site to get the split.