Commuters will be hit hard in their pockets with a New Year hike of five per cent in season ticket prices, campaigners have claimed.

Southend's Rail Travellers' Association says the increase on the Fenchurch Street line is twice the current level of inflation and 10 times that predicted by the train watchdog OPRAF.

LTS Rail has undertaken a review of fares and from January 3 the price of many single tickets will be reduced. However, SRTA claims the "captive commuter market" has been hit hard to pay for it.

Chairman, Stephen Newton, said: "I am very disappointed. The previous Government assured us that future price rises would be pegged at the level of inflation or lower and OPRAF announced that the rise on this line would be just half a per cent.

"Commuters were expecting a minimal increase and this is what they get."

An LTS Rail spokesman said despite the rise, fares on the line were still cheaper than those on the neighbouring Great Eastern route.

He said: "We are attempting this year to flatten out the fare structure on LTS Rail and make things fairer for everyone. Some fares are going down and anomalies where there were two possible fares from one station are being swept away."

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