Train fares to increase by 2.3% on average next year

Train fares will go up on average by 2.3% from 2 January, rail industry leaders have announced.

The figure is the average increase across all rail tickets.

It is the highest average increase in fares since since January 2014, when prices rose by 2.8%. Tickets went up by just 1.1% in January this year.

Rail Minister Paul Maynard said the Government is investing heavily in the network and that burden is "fairly balanced" between taxpayers and passengers.

But advocacy groups and labour unions condemned the hike.

Lianna Etkind of the Campaign for Better Transport said people were being "priced off the railway".

"I think it's very bad news for passengers," she said.

"This year has been dominated by disruptions, delays on the rail network, and passengers are right to feel really angry that yet again rail fares are going up."

She (Munich: SOQ.MU - news) urged the Government to introduce flexible season tickets with "fair discounts" for some eight million part-time workers across the UK.

Rail, Maritime and Transport union boss Mick Cash called it "another kick in the teeth for British passengers".

It "condemns them to continue to pay some of the highest fares in Europe to travel on rammed out and unreliable trains," said Mr Cash.

"This culture of private greed on Britain's railways has to stop and RMT will step up the fight for a publicly-owned railway where services and safety are the priority, not corporate profits."

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Mr Maynard said wages are growing faster than ticket prices and the Government is investing over £40 billion into the railways.

"We are delivering the biggest rail modernisation programme for over a century, providing more seats and services, wi-fi and air conditioning," he said.

"We have always fairly balanced the cost of this investment between the taxpayer and the passenger."

The chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators and Network Rail, also defended the move.

"We understand how passengers feel when fares go up, and we know that in some places they haven't always got the service they pay for," said Paul Plummer.

"Around 97p in every pound passengers pay goes back into running and improving services."

Fares previously went up 1.1% this year, 2.2% in January 2015 and 2.8% in January 2014.

Alongside the fares announcement, the Government also said some Southern rail passengers will be repaid the equivalent of a month's travel.

More than 84,000 people with season tickets will be compensated for the delays, disruption and strikes on the company's routes.

Southern said it would be inviting them to log on to a website to claim the pay out.