SCOTRAIL is offering free tickets for train services over two weeks to those who they say have been "inspired" by the COP26 global climate conference in Glasgow.

The train operator, run by Dutch state transport firm Abellio, is offering a Buy One Get One Free offer from Sunday (November 14) which will be vaild for travel from Sunday to Thursday until November 25.

They say the offer is valid with almost all ticket types, including Season Tickets and Flexipass, Standard Class and First Class, plus Kids for a Quid can be added too.

The train operator said: "With a full Sunday service operating again, ScotRail is inviting the people of Scotland to leave the car at home and experience all that train travel has to offer.

"ScotRail is committed to achieving net zero by 2035 and is cutting carbon emissions by over 10,000 tonnes a year, the equivalent of taking 2,238 cars off the road every year.

"The Buy One Get One Free offer helps even more people cut their carbon footprint by taking the train instead of the car.

"For example, traveling between Edinburgh and Glasgow by train instead of car saves over 10kg of CO2 emissions which is as much as watching 109 hours of TV, or boiling more than 150 kettles."

The offer is available for outward and return travel at any time from Sunday to Thursday, 18 November and Sunday (November 21) to Thursday (November 25).

The ScotRail franchise is being stripped from Dutch firm Abellio in March, three years before the contract was due to end. It will from then be under the total control of the Scottish Government as operator of last resort.

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It comes just two months after ScotRail, announced plans to slash ticket prices for students at all Scottish universities.

The half-price fares on off-peak services offer ran from September 6 to September 26.

Lesley Kane, ScotRail commercial director, said: “We’ve all been inspired to do our bit to cut CO2 emissions after the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.

“Rail is already the most sustainable type of public transport, and we’ve launched this offer to encourage everyone across Scotland to leave the car at home and take the train instead.”

The announcement has been made under the title: "ScotRail invites customers to BOGOF."

Last month Scotland's transport unions said train travel should be free to under-24s and over-60s when ScotRail is taken into public ownership.

The four unions want a subsidised railway that is publicly operated on a permanent basis with "trains that are clean, green and attractive".

A government-run ScotRail should also cut ticket prices, abolish peak time fares and allow people under 24 and over 60 to travel on trains for free, similar to buses, they said.

To redeem the offer, customers must register their details at www.scotrail.co.uk/free and download their Buy One, Get One Free voucher from November 10, 2021. Customers must present that voucher when travelling and must be accompanied throughout their journey with a valid ticket holder.

The SNP government has been under pressure to scrap any rail fare rises next year amid a cost of living crisis.

They fear passengers will be hit by a 3.8% increase at a time when family budgets are under unprecedented pressure.

Although no announcement on prices for 2022 has been made, the ScotRail franchise agreement ties regulated fare rises to the RPI method of calculating inflation.

Labour calculates that passengers are in line for a 3.8% rise - the biggest in years.

It comes as ScotRail has faced anger over plans to cut services compared to the pre-pandemic timetable.