A fresh row over rail fares flared as train companies were accused of "ripping off" passengers with rises well above the rate of inflation.

Travellers faced new charges, with some tickets going up by more than 11%, adding hundreds of pounds to some annual season tickets.

The Transport Salaried Staffs Association, which represents thousands of rail workers, said the Government should scrap the formula allowing rail companies to increase fares above the cost of living.

General secretary Gerry Doherty said: "This latest increase makes a mockery of the Government's claims to help hard working families through the recession.

"As every other business in the land frantically cuts prices to win customers, we see rail companies cheerfully ripping off passengers by increasing their fares as inflation falls towards zero in 2009.

"Why should they be allowed to defy the laws of economic gravity which means prices should come down in a recession? This is totally unfair and totally unjustified. It is time for ministers to cancel this gravy train which sees passengers being taken for a ride every year."

Customer watchdog body Passenger Focus said rail travellers would "shudder and shiver" when they saw the new fares. But the Association of Train Operating Companies (Atoc) said some fares were staying the same or going down and commuting by rail was "considerably less expensive than commuting by car".

Regulated fares, which include annual season tickets, will be going up by an average of 6% and unregulated fares, which include off-peak tickets, will be rising even more - by an average of 7%.

Some passengers will face double-digit percentage increases. For example the annual season ticket on Southeastern for the Gillingham-London route will go up 10.2% to £3,020. Also, there will be 10% rises on unregulated day return fares on London-Weymouth, Woking-London and Farnborough-London routes on South West Trains.

The Kings Lynn-London unregulated day return fare on First Capital Connect (FCC) goes up 11.5%, while FCC's unregulated St Neots-London day return fare rises 11.1%.

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