ScotRail is to raise the price of season tickets and standard day return fares for the first time in two years.

The fares will go up by 1%, with saver tickets also increasing by an average of 1% from Sunday 5th January 2003.

The rail company said it was one of a number of changes it planned to make to fares and products early in the new year.

All fares on the network funded by Strathclyde Passenger Transport - which sets its own fares and timetables - will remain unaffected.

This 1% is the first increase for regular season ticket and day return commuters since January 2001 Don Roberts ScotRail

So too will first class, supersaver and flexipass tickets on the rest of the ScotRail network.

All-inclusive first class and standard fares on the Caledonian sleepers will go up for the first time in 15 months.

First class fares will increase by �10 on the Glasgow/Edinburgh-London "Lowlander" route and by �20 on the Fort William/Inverness/Aberdeen-London "Highlander" service.

"Nobody's ever happy when fares go up but this 1% is the first increase for regular season ticket and day return commuters since January 2001," ScotRail head of marketing Don Roberts said.

Skye tolls remain the same

"Our policy has always been to hold fares down as much as possible and we believe this is one reason why passenger numbers have soared by eight million annually since privatisation."

Meanwhile the Scottish Executive has announced Skye Bridge tolls will remain unchanged when VAT is introduced from 1 February.

It follows a European ruling that VAT should be charged on tolls operated by private companies.

Deputy Transport Minister Lewis Macdonald said: "We have worked closely with colleagues in Whitehall and with the operator of the Skye Bridge crossing to ensure that the tolls will not rise as a result of the European Court's decision."