After two years of campaigning, Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans have secured a one year pilot scheme for companions of sight impaired card holders, to travel free on ScotRail trains across Scotland.
The pilot scheme started in April 2025 and will run until April 2026.
Eligible passengers include National Entitlement Card holders with the eye+1 symbol, who can now bring along a companion on their train journeys free of charge during the one year pilot scheme.
We travelled on the train with a group from Sight Scotland Veterans who were using the free companion rail travel scheme to attend a Centre Without Walls activity day in Montrose.
"It’s a necessity for the guys to have this card. It reduces their isolation, having someone to travel with them, get to other places, where they would usually just sit in their house, or not take that journey... we look forward to many more journeys using the card."
We have long campaigned for free companion rail travel. Receiving cross-party support and securing the pilot scheme has put us on the right track, speeding towards accessible rail travel.
That's why we want to see the pilot continue beyond April 2026. We’re encouraging every visually impaired person with an eye+1 symbol on the National Entitlement Card to share their thoughts in our impact survey, whether they've had the opportunity to use the scheme yet or not.
We know already how much of a positive difference it is making, and we want to keep shouting about it to ensure that free companion rail travel is here to stay.
This survey is a follow up to a baseline survey that was conducted in February 2025. The aggregate results from both surveys will be compared in order to understand the uptake of the pilot scheme and the impact it has had.
The findings will be used to assist future decisions regarding rail services for blind and partially sighted people in Scotland. Transport Scotland will publish a report with the survey results in 2026.
Take our Fair Rail survey now
The survey is open to people aged 16 and over who are holders of a NEC with the eye +1 symbol.
Help shape the future of fairer rail travel for those with visual impairments across Scotland now.
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