Rail fares to rocket above inflation

The worst increases will be levied on Southeastern routes from Kent and south-east London into Charing Cross, Cannon Street and Victoria.

Commuters from Hayes in Kent will face a 14.5 per cent rise on their weekly rail-only season tickets from £24.80 to £28.50 come January.

Those from Bexleyheath will suffer a 13.5 per cent rise from £25.10 to £28.50 and Woolwich Arsenal passengers face a 13 per cent increase from £20.40 to £23.20.

The average increase for commuter fares across all other routes serving London - including Southern Railways and South West Trains - will be 4.8 per cent, in line with government limits, but still double the current inflation rate.

Offpeak fares and first class tickets, across all rail routes nationwide, will increase by between 4.5 per cent and 8 per cent.

The Go-Ahead Group, Southeastern's parent company, recorded operating profits last year of £118.1 million - up £20.3 million from the previous 12 months.

The cost of standard day returns, monthly, yearly and offpeak tickets will also rise, in many cases two or three times above current inflation. The Association of Train Operating Companies is to make an official announcement on fare increases tomorrow or Thursday.

A Southeastern spokeswoman sought to justify the increases. She said: "The company recognises that no one likes having to pay more... But government policy is to recoup more of the cost of the rail service from those who use it, rather than relying on the taxpayer to subsidise it."

Critics said the huge rises make a mockery of government attempts to force commuters onto public transport.

Rail union chief Gerry Doherty said: "It is outrageous that the travelling public is being penalised when ministers are paying lip service to moving motorists on to public transport.

"It is not only commuters who are being held to ransom by ministers and the train operating companies. Off-peak increases of more than seven per cent mean that families and shoppers will pay through the nose to boost company profits at the passengers' expense."

He singled out Arriva CrossCountry - which has just taken over from Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Trains - for particular criticism after it announced its plans to increase fares by up to 8 per cent.

"There is no way that Arriva can claim that this increase is paying for improvements to services. They only took over from Virgin this week," he said.

Brian Cooke, chairman of London TravelWatch, said: "We are saddened the rail operators are imposing the full annual permitted increases while passenger numbers are increasing. More passengers means more profit for the operators."