IN the biggest rail fares increase since 2013, average train tickets across the country will go up by 3.4 per cent from January 2 – 3.3 per cent for South Western Railway (SWR) passengers.

Haslemere has the highest number of first class season ticket holders.

They will see a £240 hike in the price, from £6,752 to £6,992. It will add £140 to the cost of a standard annual season ticket from Haslemere to Waterloo – up to £4,112 from £3,972.

Announcing the rise, the Rail Delivery Group said it was below the regulated fares increase of 3.6 per cent, which was July’s Retail Price Index measure.

But it comes at the end of a year when one in nine trains were five minutes late on commuter services and 10 minutes late on long-distance journeys, the worst performance since 2006/7.

Haslemere Rail Users Group (HRUG) secretary Martin Odell said: “We are very disappointed by the increase, because we haven’t seen any improvements yet.

“Southern Rail passengers must be really annoyed, but in our case I think we will be getting a better service from December next year. In SWR’s proposed new Monday to Friday timetable from December 2018, we have noted 13 more services per day to London from Portsmouth Harbour and Portsmouth an Southsea, 11 more from Haslemere, and 16 more services from London back to Haslemere, Portsmouth Harbour and Portsmouth & Southsea.

“There will be both earlier and later trains than at present.

“The Saturday service will match as now the Monday to Friday off peak services, with Sundays yet to be finalised.

“Obviously we would have liked all trains to be non-stop Haslemere to Waterloo and back.

“But then we do have our friends and fellow travellers to keep happy as well.

“The best news is the two peak-hour fast services will be two-plus-two seating in the Wessex Electrics Class 442 rolling stock refurbishment, which has already started.”

HRUG is urging as many people as possible to respond to the public consultation to the proposed new timetable, which closes on on December 22. To take part log on to: www.south westernrailway.com and search for ‘timetable consultation’.