COMMUTERS in the South-West are to face a rail fare rise of 3.6% from January, the TUC and rail unions are warning.

Next year’s fare hikes will mean rail fares will have increased by 24.9% over the current Parliament – 2010-15 – and have risen faster than wages in every year.

Over the same period, average earnings have increased by 10.7%, meaning rail fares have risen more than twice as fast as wages.

New official figures out this morning are forecast to show that RPI inflation rose by 2.6% in|July.

Regulated rail fares – which include season tickets – are allowed to rise by July’s RPI figure plus 1% and would therefore increase by 3.6% in January 2015.