SCOTRAIL is introducing its travel tickets into Smart technology over then next three months.

Customers travelling between areas such as Ayr and Glasgow will be able to beat the queues by loading products onto their Smartcard in advance of travel.

This follows on from last summer’s Smart infrastructure programme that saw every route in Scotland upgraded to enable Smart ticketing. 

Flexipass tickets – which offer 10 journeys that can be taken flexibly over the period of one month from first date of travel – will be introduced on Smart to almost 1400 journey options.

Over this coming summer, products, including single and returns and off peak tickets will also switch to Smart.

ScotRail is also working with other public transport operators to deliver combined tickets for bus and ferry travel.

It is expected that the first of these Smart tickets will be available this summer.

Cathy Craig, ScotRail alliance commercial director, said: “We’ve been working hard behind the scenes over the past few months to get Scotland ready for the rollout of our queue-busting Smart tickets. 

"Every route and every station in Scotland has been upgraded so we are ready now to start switching our most popular tickets to Smart.

“Switching to Smart means no more standing in queues to purchase tickets and customers can buy at home and then just tap through the gates. 

"This takes some of the hassle out of travelling and will make it easier and faster for people to get about Scotland.

“Alongside the introduction of our brand new faster, longer, greener trains – and the arrival of our fleet of fully refurbished inter-city trains, Smart ticketing is helping transform rail travel. 

"We are delivering more seats, shorter journeys and hassle free travel through upgraded stations. This is what our customers want.”