A HIKE in rail fares will not force commuters on to the roads, a Huddersfield passengers’ group has claimed.

Train users have been warned to brace themselves for higher than expected fare rises when they go to buy their ticket in the New Year.

And they are warning of the biggest increase in around 10 years.

Annual season tickets for main line rail travellers are set to increase by an average of 5.8%.

And there will be even more bad news for commuters in January, as the average rise for regulated fares – including season tickets and some off-peak tickets – will go up from the present 1% above RPI (retail prices index) inflation to 3% above RPI.

But while Peter Marshall, of the Huddersfield, Penistone and Sheffield Rail Users’ Association, believes the high increases are unfair, he says it will not put local passengers off using the trains.

He said: “I think there will be the usual winter grumble but people in the Huddersfield area will still use the trains.

“But I do think that for the increase passengers are paying they do deserve to have better investment in local stations and services.”

Fares set to substantially increase include a season ticket on the TransPennine Express route from Middlesbrough to York, which will rise by 5.8% from £3,944 to £4,172.

Mr Marshall expects local rail users to shell out between 5% and 6% extra for tickets.

He said: “I think locally the increases aren’t as bad as we will be seeing nationally, like in the London area, where fares will be up as much as 12% or 13%.

“Where the local trains are concerned we are disappointed that we are seeing an above average increase in fares. It’s the biggest increase we’ve seen for some time – at least the last 10 years.

“I think there will be a few people reluctant to pay more but the fares in West Yorkshire are still quite attractive compared with other parts of the country. People here also find the trains quite reliable.”

The Government and rail industry say higher fares are vital to pay for continued investment in the rail system.

But Mr Marshall says commuters in other parts of the country will benefit more from this and local rail users deserve so see more return for the extra cash they are paying.

He said: “Over one-and-a-quarter million passengers a year use the Penistone line, a fantastic level using it as a commuter line as well as a rural line.

“But the Penistone line is a bit of a poor relation and we’re still got trains running that are 20 years old compared with the trains in London which are newer and getting more investment. We are seeing fare increases without seeing any rail improvements.

“We need to see investment in more than just the trains, like making stations more attractive and having better signage and lighting,” Mr Marshall added.