TRAIN fares will increase by 1 per cent next year – the lowest price rise since 2010.

The rises, which will be introduced in January, are based on July’s rate of Retail Price Index inflation, announced by the Office for National Statistics.

At present, an annual ticket from Colchester to London Liverpool Street costs £4,796, but this will increase to £4,843.

David Sidebottom, director of transport user watchdog Transport Focus, said: “Fares are set to increase again, but passengers will be relieved to see rises in England are being capped at inflation.

“They will be pleased to see there is no flexibility for individual fares to go up by more than this. Both of these are things we have pushed for.

“While fares are going up, for many people punctuality is going down. The poor performance in the South East, in particular, highlights how Network Rail and operators need to deliveramore consistent day-to-day service which passengers can rely on.”

To mark the increase announcement, the Trades Union Congress and campaign group Action for Rail released a report showing rail fares have risen almost three times faster than wages in the last five years.

It claims between 2010 and 2015 fares have increased by 25 per cent, while average pay rose 9 per cent.

Stephen Howard, 42, from Highwoods, challenged the figures. His job as an IT security specialist sees him commute into the City.

He said: “I’ve no idea who’s pay they are checking, but I can assure you mine and everyone else I know who works in the private sector have certainly not had an average pay increase of 9 per cent, or indeed a rise of any note.

“Meanwhile, the service is as abysmal as I can recall in 15 years of commuting daily to London from Colchester.

“It has been announced fares are to rise 1 per cent. But it’s every year an increase.

“We cannot go on like this – at some stage we shall reach tipping point, where it’s just not worth travelling in to work.

“When that happens, the whole economy of towns like Colchester will collapse as there just isn’t the local employment to sustain the ever expanding population.”