Commuters face extra shock in the new year as rail fares may rise by up to 10pc

RAIL commuters already facing increased annual fare rises from January 2012 could find season tickets rocketing this winter as well.

Regulated fares, which include season tickets, are set to rise by 5.8 per cent in January 2011. But some regulated fares could go up by as much as 10.8 per cent as train companies have been give the go-ahead by the Government to make the 5.8 per cent figure only an average increase.

Companies have “5 per cent flexibility” which means they can raise some fares by as much as 5 per cent above the capped figure (which is 5.8 per cent in January 2011) as long as all the regulated fares average out at 5.8 per cent.

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Labour scrapped the 5 per cent flexibility for the set of fares that were introduced in January this year, ensuring that there was no average figure and that all regulated fare rises were the same. But the Department for Transport (DfT) has gone back to the old flexibility rule, saying the loss of flexibility was operationally and affordably unsustainable.

The decision alarmed rail customer watchdog Passenger Focus, whose chief executive Anthony Smith said: “In the past, train companies have used the fares basket flexibility to impose increases of more than 10 per cent on some routes. Passengers will wait anxiously to see if this is used by operators just to get rid of ‘anomalies’ or whether some will face rises of more than double the rate of inflation.”

The Association of Train Operating Companies said that any fare increased by more than 5.8 per cent in January 2011 “must be balanced by another fare reducing by the same amount”. Last week the Government announced that from January 2012, the regulated fares cap will be changing to RPI plus 3 per cent.

General secretary of the RMT transport union Bob Crow said: “This is another body blow to passengers and the rail industry and another clear sign that rail franchising cannot deliver the people’s railway the economy and environment are crying out for

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“Britain already has the highest rail fares in Europe. Yet while private rail bosses are still raking in profits the Government has once more decided to put the squeeze on passengers, while our members face their anger at the ticket barriers.”