People from Fife will now be able to stay on the move during periods of severe rail disruption, thanks to a new ticket acceptance arrangement between ScotRail and Stagecoach East Scotland.

From Monday 16 January, ScotRail customers affected by any major disruption as a result of severe weather, emergency repairs or signalling issues, will be able to complete their journey using Stagecoach East Scotland bus services.

Customers holding a valid train ticket simply show this to the driver on boarding to be able to travel free of charge.

This scheme will be activated during periods of severe disruption, and customers will be alerted by ScotRail’s station and on-train staff, via Twitter and online. The arrangement does not cover travel between Edinburgh and Inverkeithing. A list of bus routes calling and pick up points is listed below.

A similar ticket acceptance is already up and running with Stagecoach in the North of Scotland, in Glasgow with First Bus, in Edinburgh with Edinburgh Trams and in Midlothian with Lothian Buses. It has been very successful in transporting passengers when rail services are not running as they should.

Jacqueline Taggart, ScotRail Alliance Customer Experience Director said: “This scheme will be a real benefit for our customers in Fife.

“During periods of major disruption, our main priority is to keep customers on the move, and this partnership with Stagecoach will help us do just that.”

Speaking about the new scheme, David Frenz, Operations Director at Stagecoach East Scotland said: We’re committed to providing quality public transport services to the communities we serve.  We’re delighted to be able to assist rail passengers during periods of disruption as this partnership is putting the customer at the heart of our operations.”