RAIL passengers have hit out at ScotRail over an 'appalling' decision to move a service to Glasgow forward by one minute which will see fares nearly double. 

The change, which took effect earlier this week, saw the 9.15am train to Glasgow from Perth changed to depart at 9.14am. 

This small alteration will hit passengers in the pocket as the now peak service could cost as much as £17 per day more for a return journey. 

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An off-peak single between Perth and Glasgow currently costs £17.10 while a return costs as little as £16.20.

However, a return ticket leaving on a peak train costs around £30.

The news emerged after a post on social media saw ScotRail draw criticism from members of the public. 

Twitter user John Fellows posted: "Joy! ScotRail have improved the timetable (at an additional cost to Perth commuters of £17 per day)."

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Reading the tweet, others have shared their disgust at the decision. One posted: "That's appalling. ScotRail you should be ashamed of this."

Another suggested that those travelling to and from Glasgow could save money by purchasing peak tickets only between Perth and Stirling, and off-peak tickets between Glasgow and Stirling. 

The Evening Times understands that changes to timetables in May will see the 9.14am train move further into the peak timeframe. 

Rail fares in Scotland are to go up in January 2019,  with peak fares to increase by 3.2 per cent next year. However, these rises will be restricted for off-peak journeys. 

A ScotRail spokesman said: “The timetable improvements deliver faster journeys, more seats, and more services for customers. The changes do mean that some services are departing a few minutes earlier or later than they used to.

“We encourage customers to buy tickets in advance of their journey whenever possible to take advantage of the savings on offer. We have made extra advance tickets available for this particular service.”