RAIL passengers travelling from Swindon station will face above-inflation fare rises in the New Year.

First Great Western, which runs the trains on the main line, has announced that season tickets and saver tickets will rise by 4.1 per cent on January 4.

It means someone with an annual season ticket to London will pay £5,300 rather than £5,100.

Supersaver tickets, for off-peak journeys, and cheap day returns, will also go up.

A saver return from Swindon to Taunton, which currently costs £24.60, will go up to £25.60. A saver return to Cardiff will rise from £22.30 to £23.20.

Other tickets, including flexible open tickets, which are valid for a month and can be used at any time, discounted advance tickets to London and Apex fares, which have to be booked in advance and are subject to availability, will be unaffected.

It is part of a national policy which will see fares go up by one per cent above inflation each January.

Much of the money raised will not go to train companies, but will be paid to the Strategic Rail Authority to fund improvements to the railway network.

But the Rail Passengers Committee For Western England, which covers Swindon, has slammed the rises.

Secretary Sean O'Neill said: "It's a dismal thing for passengers to face when they are not getting the quality of service they are entitled to. Passengers have had a rough time of it. The Government has taken the view that it can't carry on ploughing taxpayers' money into the railway, and it's up to passengers to shoulder the cost."

First Great Western says it will not be getting a large slice of the cash.

Managing director Chris Kinchin-Smith said: "For several years, costs like wages and fuel have been rising faster than inflation, while income from the regulated fares has been falling in real terms.

"Now, while First Great Western's income from fares will continue to increase by less than the rate of inflation, the additional cash we return to the SRA will help provide continued investment in the rail industry nationally."

Barrie Hudson