ScotRail Peak fares will be reintroduced at the end of September in “light of the financial challenges” facing the Scottish Government.

Transport Scotland said there had been a “limited degree of success” in the £40 million, year long pilot scheme.

While there had been a boost in the number of passengers, the scheme “did not achieve its aims of encouraging a significant modal shift from car to rail.”

Ministers said the money would be better spent on tackling climate change and child poverty.

For commuters on peak time trains on Scotland’s busiest line between Edinburgh and Glasgow, it will mean a jump from £16.20 for a return to £31.40, a 94% hike.

Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Transport,  said: “The pilot primarily benefitted existing train passengers and those with medium to higher incomes. Although passenger levels increased to a maximum of around 6.8%, it would require a 10% increase in passenger numbers for the policy to be self-financing.”

She said the pilot will have saved many passengers hundreds, but that the level of subsidy required “cannot continue in the current financial climate on that measure alone.”

The minister said ScotRail would instead offer a 12-month discount on all season tickets and amend the terms of flexipasses to allow for 12 single journeys for the price of 10.

She said super off-peak tickets will also be reintroduced.

Ms Hyslop added: “The Scottish Government would be open to consider future subsidy to remove peak fares should UK budget allocations to the Scottish Government improve in future years.”

Scottish Conservative shadow transport minister Graham Simpson said this was  “bad news for hard-pressed rail passengers.”

He added: “Simplifying and lowering fares helps people afford to use the trains. It was the right thing to do.

“Introducing confusing season ticket and multi-ticket deals is no compensation for removing something that should have been made permanent.

“The Scottish Government should have done far more to promote the peak fare removal. In the end, it should never have been mere numbers but having a rail system and fare system that is fair and affordable.

“We have gone backwards.”

Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell said the news a “hammer blow to the many workers all over Scotland who have to travel every day but have no say on when they need to be at work.”

He added: “Ending peak rail fares is something that the Scottish Greens pushed hard for alongside rail workers unions and anti-poverty campaigners, and I know many will be angry to see the SNP bringing them back like this.

“By reducing fares we were able to support hundreds of thousands of commuters through the cost of living crisis while encouraging them to leave their cars at home. A lot of workers and their families saved hundreds of pounds.”

He said it was also “very bad news for our environment.”

ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, described the move as “short sighted”.

“This is a decision that is a disaster for Scottish workers, the Scottish economy and the environment,” Jim Baxter, from the union’s executive council said.

“Incentivising people to make the modal shift from road to rail travel will take years of investment to make rail travel affordable and attractive. 

“To assess this in less than a year is short sighted and speaks to a Government that is not serious about meeting its own climate targets. “