RAIL fares are set to soar in West Yorkshire.

Commuters on lines in and out of Huddersfield and other local stations are facing a near 10% hike in ticket prices next year – the highest rise in the country.

It means that the £1,124 annual rail fare from Huddersfield into Leeds and back could rise by more than £100.

Similar rises are expected on lines linking Wakefield, Bradford, Castleford or Dewsbury into Leeds.

Passengers are facing a higher than average rise because of a funding deal with the government to lease extra carriages to ease overcrowding.

Transport body Metro, which governs rail services across West Yorkshire, is now in talks with the Government about the issue.

Regulated rail fares are governed by Retail Price Inflation (RPI), which is currently 5%.

The government has said next year fares will rise by RPI plus 3%, giving an overall increase of 8%.

However, in West Yorkshire a funding deal was agreed in 2006 between Metro and the Government to lease additional carriages to ease overcrowding on some of the busiest routes, including the commuter runs between Huddersfield and Leeds and that means an additional charge on passengers.

Metro said it was being “penalised” for developing an initiative to add capacity to its railway lines.

David Hoggarth, director of development at Metro, said the authority wanted to see action to bring in additional carriages more quickly.

“"We need more carriages desperately.

“The trains to and from Leeds are very, very overcrowded at the moment and we know that passengers want a fair deal.”