Rail firms are set to hike fares by up to £200 a year despite months of appalling service on many routes.
Regulated fares, which include commuter and season tickets, increase at the start of the year in line with the previous July’s rate of retail price index (RPI) inflation.
Economists expect this figure to be about 3.5 per cent when it is announced on Wednesday.
The increase will infuriate commuters who have suffered major delays and cancellations, as well as serious overcrowding even after longer trains were brought into service.
The chaos came to a head in May with the bungled introduction of new timetables.
Thameslink commuters face delays Twitter/Peter SaundersGovia Thameslink Railway and Northern Rail were particularly badly affected.
Then the heatwave caused further disruption with equipment failures and train crew shortages.
Strikes have also been affecting services at Waterloo. Further action could be on the cards in a dispute over the role of train guards.
If fares were to rise by 3.5 per cent, it would add £200 to a season ticket to London from Southampton Central; £189 from Canterbury; £182 from Milton Keynes; £178 from Oxford; £173 from Cambridge; £164 from Brighton; £163 from Tunbridge Wells; and £156 from both Reading and Basingstoke, according to figures from the Campaign for Better Transport. (Scroll to the bottom of this article for a table of 40 commuter destinations)
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Steve Chambers, the group’s public transport campaigner, said: “This year rail passengers have been let down by a failing service and have had to suffer delays, cancellations, repeated timetable changes and overcrowding.
“Passengers, quite rightly, do not think such a poor service justifies another fares hike next January.
Commuters voiced their dismay at the fare hikes.
Recruiter Ella Beese, 25, travels from North Dulwich. She said: “I recruit people who tell me their tickets are £5,000 a year. Their increase would be loads. It’s ridiculous, especially for people who have moved out of the city for cheaper housing.”
Steven Willey, 37, a barrister’s clerk who travels from Caterham, said: “I think a cap would be a nice indication from the train providers that they are hearing the commuters.”
Following the disruption MPs have said fares should not rise at all in January. Former Cabinet minister Sir Ed Davey, the Lib-Dem MP for Kingston and Surbiton which is served by SWR, said: “Train companies should not get a penny extra from increased fares until they can prove that they can deliver sustained improvements in service.”
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Chris Philp, the Tory MP for Croydon South, branded GTR’s service as “shocking”. He added: “Fares [on GTR] should be frozen in cash terms next January and compensation paid to season ticket holders for a service which has not been delivered.”
Gareth Thomas, the Labour MP for Harrow West, said: “Customers have been ripped off for too long.”
Commuters are being offered additional compensation of the value of up to a month off an annual season ticket if they were affected by the timetable fiasco. Robert Nisbet, regional director at the Rail Delivery Group, said: “We are sorry for the unacceptable disruption following the timetable change which is why the industry has already put in place specific arrangements to compensate those customers affected.
“Money from fares plays a key part in supporting our long-term plan that will deliver a better railway, while securing £85 billion of additional economic benefits.” The RDG stressed there is record investment in trains and upgraded infrastructure to improve services.
A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: “Regulated fares — like most season tickets — will be capped in line with inflation for the sixth year in a row.”
Station 2017 2018 2019 Rise 18 to 19 Ashford International £5192 £5379 £5567 £188 Aylesbury £3920 £4061 £4203 £142 Basingstoke £4308 £4463 £4619 £156 Bishops Stortford £4044 £4190 £4337 £147 Bracknell £4308 £4463 £4619 £156 Braintree £4344 £4500 £4658 £158 Brentwood £2580 £2673 £2767 £94 Brighton £4536 £4699 £4864 £164 Cambridge £4780 £4952 £5125 £173 Canterbury £5224 £5412 £5601 £189 Chelmsford £3832 £3970 £4109 £139 Colchester £4928 £5105 £5284 £179 Crawley £3572 £3701 £3831 £130 Eastbourne £4668 £4836 £5005 £169 Farnham £3888 £4028 £4169 £141 Gillingham (Kent) £3984 £4127 £4271 £144 Grays (Essex) £2296 £2379 £2462 £83 Guildford £3496 £3622 £3749 £127 Harlow Town £3496 £3622 £3749 £127 Hastings £4980 £5159 £5340 £181 High Wycombe £3436 £3560 £3685 £125 Horsham £3988 £4132 £4277 £145 Luton £4032 £4177 £4323 £146 Maidstone £4296 £4451 £4607 £156 Milton Keynes £5028 £5209 £5391 £182 Oxford £4920 £5097 £5275 £178 Portsmouth £5048 £5230 £5413 £183 Reading £4308 £4463 £4619 £156 Reigate £2748 £2847 £2947 £100 Royston £4620 £4786 £4954 £168 St Albans City £3380 £3502 £3625 £123 Sevenoaks £3380 £3502 £3624 £123 Slough £2540 £2631 £2723 £92 Southampton £5504 £5702 £5902 £200 Southend £3408 £3531 £3655 £124 Stevenage £3612 £3742 £3873 £131 Tunbridge Wells £4484 £4645 £4808 £163 Tonbridge £4088 £4235 £4383 £148 Witham £4276 £4430 £4585 £155 Woking £3136 £3249 £3363 £114 AVERAGE £4065 £4212 £4359 £147- 2019 cost is based on an RPI figure of 3.5%. Prices are for the cheapest available 12-month season ticket into London terminals on any route permitted (where available) excluding use on high-speed services