THE cost of an annual season ticket between Farnham and London Waterloo will break the £4,000 barrier for the first time on January 2, National Rail has confirmed.

Rail fares will increase by an average 3.3 per cent across the South Western Railway network in the new year, against a national average of 3.4 per cent - the biggest hike since 2013.

However, Farnham commuters are set to be punished more than most, with the price of a 12-month standard class adult season ticket (not including a Travelcard) set to increase by an above-average 3.5 per cent, from £3,888 to £4,024.

Occasional travellers will also be hit, with a peak-time Anytime Day Travelcard from Farnham to London (zones one to six) also set to increase by a whopping 4.9 per cent from £39.10 to £41.

The rises cover all regulated fares, which includes season tickets, and unregulated fares, such as off-peak leisure tickets.

It comes after the Alton Line Users Association (ALUA) expressed deep disappointment when it was announced in September the rise in regulated fares would be capped at July’s Retail Prices Index inflation rate of 3.6 per cent, and not the lower Consumer Price Index (CPI).

This, ALUA said at the time, “will really hit the pockets of commuters and peak-time rail passengers”.

Speaking this week, ALUA stood by its original statement, commenting: “ALUA can only assume the Government is not using its preferred measure of inflation the CPI, which is the one used to determine wages and pension increases, because it is often lower than RPI and would lead to smaller fare increases. Why not use the CPI for rail fares too?

“Passengers deserve to be treated fairly. Salaries and wages over recent years have diminished by seven per cent in real terms, while rail fares have been continually rising.”