SCOTRAIL has announced that students travelling home for the festive period will benefit from a fifty per cent discount on tickets.

It comes as many students plan to head home ahead of Christmas with a mass testing programme currently underway, in a bid to limit the risk of Covid-19 transmission.

Students returning home will now only need to pay half-price for travel on any off-peak ScotRail service until December 24 provided they have recorded a negative coronavirus test before they travel.

Lesley Kane, ScotRail’s commercial director, said: “We think this half price deal on tickets is the best gift we can give students before Christmas and we are sure it will be very popular amongst students who want to get home to see loved ones at this special family time of the year.”