RAIL fares will rise by an average of 6.2 per cent in January 2011, the Association of Train Operating Companies has said.

But watchdog Passenger Focus was critical of the absence of detail in today's announcement.

According to the Office of Rail Regulation the average price paid for a single journey is currently £4.89. Applying a 6.2 per cent increase to this would see the average single fare rise to £5.19 in January.

ATOC said that above inflation fare rises are the result of a change in government policy in recent years which has sought to reduce the amount that taxpayers contribute and require passengers to pay more.

Michael Roberts, Chief Executive of ATOC said: “We know times are tough for many people but next year’s fare increases will ensure that Britain can continue investing in its railways.

“Even with these fare increases, the money passengers spend on fares covers only half the cost of running the railways – taxpayers make up the difference. The government is sticking with the previous administration’s policy to cut the taxpayers’ contribution to the overall cost of running the railways.

“More and more people are travelling by train and demand is expected to double in the coming decades so it is more important than ever that money is spent on providing better stations, more trains and faster services. Money invested through fares has helped to bring about the record levels of customer satisfaction and punctuality on the railways today.

“But, in the longer term we need reform which drives down the cost of the railways by relying more heavily on the innovation and resources of the private sector to give passengers a better service and taxpayers better value for money.”

Passenger Focus, meanwhile, called for ATOC to provide details of the rises to come.

PF passenger director Ashwin Kumar said: “It is disappointing the Association of Train Operating Companies has still not told passengers what they will face in January. Yet again they have put out the average fare rise rather than details for individual train companies. This figure will also mask rises on some routes of more than 10 per cent. Passengers deserve to know how much of the burden they will have to bear in January.”

Passenger Focus added that in the past passengers had been told the average rise for regulated and unregulated fares for each train company.  'Last year ATOC refused to give details for individual companies. This year it had gone further, and lumped regulated and unregulated fares into one pot potentially concealing an average rise of nearly 7 per cent in unregulated fares,' PF said.

In response, an ATOC spokesman said it was thought best to announce a single figure. "This, we think, gives passengers a steer on what is happening. Individual train operators will be able to give details of their own fare changes from today, and the new fares will become visible on reservation systems in about two weeks from now."