Today's July Consumer Prices Index inflation figure of 4.4 per cent is bad news, hiding as it does the much steeper rises in food and fuel prices. But for many London commuters the new figure will also mean swingeing train fare increases. The train operating companies are officially allowed to put up fares for the following January by the Retail Price Index figure for inflation - five per cent in July - plus one per cent.

Thus many commuters will face increases of six per cent; Southeastern railways has been given permission to put its fares up by a total of eight per cent in the new year. Indeed, all the operators are allowed to vary some fare increases by up to two per cent more or less than that: some fares will go up even more. The cost of a yearly season ticket to Oxford will rise by more than £230.

Rail commuters will rightly be angry about these increases, coming as they do against a background of poor punctuality. There is no reason why the rail operators should be allowed to put up prices ahead of inflation, a hangover from the original privatisation settlement. The Government should renegotiate the system to rein in these inflationary increases for long-suffering rail travellers.

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