Passengers could face an 8 per cent rise in rail fares (Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)

HARD-hit rail passengers face yet another blow to their finances today as they learn how much they may have to pay for season tickets next year.

Witham MP Priti Patel

July’s inflation figures, which are due to be published today, will be the basis of the formula used to decide how much regulated fares will rise in January 2012, affecting season tickets and most off-peak returns.

But in a further twist to commuters’ fortunes, the Government has revised the formula this year so the actual rise will be RPI plus 3 per cent, instead of the usual figure of RPI plus 1 per cent.

With inflation expected to be about five per cent, rail commuters could find themselves paying about eight per cent more for their daily journey to work – which would see a yearly season ticket from Ipswich to London Liverpool Street go up by £424 to £5,724, and a ticket from Colchester to the capital rise by £331 to £4,471.

And to make matters worse, the eight per cent figure is an average rise, meaning some passengers could find themselves facing bigger increases in their journeys.

Neil Skinner, chairman of the Manningtree Rail Users’ Association, said: “People feel they’re paying too much already – they don’t feel any increase is justified – so to increase the rate of increase is unfair in the extreme.

“I think if people felt the extra money was going back into the railway, that would ease the blow, but it seems either to go into a central pot of money, or into National Express East Anglia shareholders’ pockets.

“We are aware of married couples who find it’s cheaper to rent a flat in London to live in through the week than it is to pay two rail fares and commute.”

The news comes just weeks after National Express East Anglia was rated the joint lowest in the country for overall passenger satisfaction in a survey by rail watchdog Passenger Focus, which found just 78 per cent of the company’s customers were satisfied with their journeys compared to 84 per cent nationally.

Ipswich MP Ben Gummer said: “Rail fares are taking more and more out of commuters’ pay packets and are now beyond the reach of many working families.

“I think it’s unacceptable to be raising fares when the quality of the services remains so low, but as it stands, rail travel is cripplingly expensive but also too often late, dirty and uncomfortable.

“I’m doing what I can with my colleagues to lobby the government and rail operators to improve the rail service in our region, and I hope that we will begin to see the fruits of that over the next year.”

National Express East Anglia is expected to publish its full list of 2012 fares in November.

National Express East Anglia has been criticised by an Essex MP after failing to provide would-be rail operators with the information they need to run the railway franchise from next year within the allotted time frame.

The company, which was stripped of its franchise for the region amid widespread criticism of poor customer service, has replied to just 220 clarification requests from potential bidders within its 14-day target – less than half of the 448 requests submitted.

Witham MP Priti Patel said: “It is concerning to see the delays from National Express in responding to those bidding to run local train services from next year.

“Bidders need to have as much information given to them as soon as possible so they can work on their proposals to run an improved railway service from next year.

“I know they were disappointed about losing the franchise but National Express should act promptly to respond to requests for information from future providers.”