Free rail travel for companions of blind and partially sighted people in Scotland has now become permanent government policy.
Fair rail vision: campaign victory
On 11 March 2026, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop MSP confirmed in a parliamentary question that the free companion rail travel scheme — piloted since April 2025 — will become a permanent part of Scotland's transport system. This follows four years of campaigning by Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans, driven by the lived experience of blind and partially sighted people and veterans who told us the cost of a rail ticket for someone to accompany them on their journey was a barrier to travelling safely and independently.
This is a victory that belongs to everyone who played a part in the campaign — the veterans who first raised the issue and never let it go, every person who signed the petition, completed a survey, gave evidence, attended an event, or told us about a journey they couldn't make.
It’s about the politicians from every party who listened to those voices, and took action make the pilot happen. Together you made the change.
We're also grateful to the Scottish Government, Transport Scotland and ScotRail for working with us to design, deliver and evaluate the pilot — a genuine example of what's possible when policymakers listen to lived experience.
Read the full story of the campaign and what the evidence showed here.
Blind Companion Rail Travel Pilot FAQs
If you hold a National Entitlement Card (NEC) with the eye+1 symbol, your companion travels free on rail services across Scotland. This is no longer a pilot — it's a permanent entitlement.
Those who have a National Entitlement Card (NEC) with the eye+1 symbol will be entitled to bring a companion with them at no cost when travelling together.
The blind cardholder can be accompanied by 1 companion who will be granted free travel with the cardholder. Free travel does not extend to others who may be travelling as part of a group.
The cardholder and companion should access rail services as they do now except the companion will no longer need to purchase a ticket to travel. The cardholder should present the card to train staff and the companion automatically travels free. At ticket barriers the cardholder and companion should show the cardholder’s pass to the gateline staff, who will give them access through the gates.
You don’t need a ticket with a Concession card issued with the Visual Impairment concession. The card itself is your ticket to travel.
If you require a seat reservation, please visit a staffed station or contact ScotRail customer relations to arrange this. There is no charge for seat reservations.
If you are using other train operators, please contact them directly and check with them in advance as you may be required to reserve seats but without purchasing tickets.
The free companion scheme applies only to travel within Scotland. This means that you will be required to purchase a ticket for parts of journeys outside of Scotland.
The scheme applies on all ScotRail services. In addition, cardholders and travelling companions are also entitled to free rail travel on all other train operators serving stations within Scotland and to Carlisle and Berwick Upon Tweed (Caledonian Sleeper, Avanti West Coast, LNER, Cross Country and TransPennine Express).
There are no plans for other operators to offer free companion travel at this stage.
No, cardholders and their accompanying companion will travel free on all rail services across Scotland.
If you’d like any more information on the pilot scheme or the evaluation please contact a member of the team at Transport Scotland by emailing: blindcompanionsurvey@transport.gov.scot
If you'd like to apply for a National Entitlement Card (NEC) with the eye+1 symbol, you can do so on the NEC website here. You can also contact the Transport department in your local authority directly to request this, or apply through your local library.
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