ScotRail's new official app and ticketing website launch faces significant technical issues; passengers unable to book tickets.

ScotRail's new official app and ticketing website launched on Thursday but faced significant technical issues, preventing many passengers from booking tickets. The rail operator issued an apology, stating, "We're sorry for the delay to anyone switching their ScotRail app today. We are working with our technical teams to clear this as quickly as possible and we apologise for the inconvenience."¹²⁴⁵⁶⁷

Passengers have expressed frustration on social media, with comments like, "This is just not good enough. No doubt the new app has cost us, the customer, a fortune, We deserve better. Shockingly bad." Another user remarked, "As expected a total utter shambles. Typical ScotRail." The issues have led ScotRail to advise customers to continue using the old app until midday while they work to resolve the problems.

The new app and website were intended to simplify the ticket purchasing process, replacing the previous system supplied by Trainline. However, the transition has not gone smoothly, with many users reporting that the app is "totally unusable." Additionally, passengers were urged to download any pre-bought tickets before the switch-over, as these cannot be transferred to the new system. The old app will remain available until its withdrawal on October 21. ScotRail has also recently introduced a £10 minimum fare for ticketless passengers, further complicating the situation for travelers.

As ScotRail works to rectify these issues, the company remains committed to improving the user experience, stating that the updates are designed to make it simpler and faster to plan journeys, buy tickets, and manage travel.