Commuters face rail fare hikes of at least 6% next year Train passengers face hikes of at least 6% on their season tickets under the new rail ticket pricing system. The pressure on cash-strapped commuters will worsen next year after the government confirmed that it will reinstate a planned fare rise of 3% above inflation, despite train operators considering a lobbying campaign for a lower increase. Rail passengers face a hike of at least 6% on their season tickets under the new pricing regime, whose introduction was delayed for a year by the transport secretary, Justine Greening. Her intervention ensured that fares rose by just 1% above inflation this year in a move calculated to lessen the impact of the most controversial cost-cutting move by the Department for Transport (DfT) in the 2010 spending review. However, train operators have signalled their concern over next year's proposed increase in an internal document that discusses the merits of calling for the retention of the 1% increase, including the use of a media advertising campaign to back up their case. The memo, drawn up by the Association of Train Operating Companies (Atoc), the industry's trade body, outlines the benefits of calling for a smaller increase. It would "position ourselves on the side of the passengers" and "highlight the role the government plays in setting fares." Acknowledging the damage that annual fare announcements cause to the industry's image, it adds that calling for a 1% plus inflation increase would also "undermine the perception that train companies want ever higher fare rises to boost profits." The memo also debates the merits of taking out full page adverts in the Metro newspaper in key commuter cities and asking train operator bosses to front local media campaigns. However, the document admits that going public could "irritate ministers" by appearing to side with campaigners against the government. It is understood that Atoc's main concern, alongside the size of the increase, is the timing of the government's decision. Setting fare increases is a time-consuming task and train operators were put on the back foot by the late timing of the government's decision to reverse fare increase plans last year, with train companies working day and night to reset their fare systems in time. A DfT spokesman indicated that a campaign for a 1% increase will be fruitless and the RPI+3% regime will return in 2013. He said: "The current agreed regulated fares policy is as set out in the 2011 comprehensive spending review - a rise in 2012 of RPI+1% and RPI+3% for 2013 and 2014, returning to RPI+1% thereafter." The fare cap applies to regulated fares such as season tickets and off-peak fares on long distance routes. Despite Greening's declaration that there is a plan "to end the era of inflation-busting fares," the DfT's admission means the era will continue for some time yet. The government has called for the rail industry to make £3.5bn of annual efficiency savings. But it is also seeking to substantially cut the £4bn a year taxpayer subsidy to the industry, and wants ticket revenue to be a larger source of rail income. Passengers paid £6.6bn in 2010-2011. Nonetheless, there is a precedent for the government changing its mind on fares. The chancellor, George Osborne, announced a late change of heart - following lobbying by Greening - in his autumn statement last year, setting the cap at 1% over inflation instead of the threatened 3%. RPI has since fallen from around 5% to 3.1%. However, with train operators allowed to raise fares on selected routes by an additional 5%, if current inflation rates persist some commuters could see the price of their tickets rise by 11% in January. The RPI number used to set the increase is the figure for July, which is published in August. The DfT spokesman said: "Over the long term we are committed to reducing the cost of the railways and ending the era of above-inflation fare increases."