Day trips into London could cost Farnham train passengers almost £50 from March, and annual season tickets more than £4,800, on the back of the least reliable year for rail travel since records began.

It comes after the Department for Transport confirmed a 5.9 per cent hike to regulated rail fares from March 5, 2023.

This rise has been capped at a level well below July’s 12.3 per cent RPI inflation rate “to help reduce the impact on passengers”, the transport secretary said.

But it remains the second-highest increase on record and amid ongoing industrial action and proposed service cuts, rail commuters and campaigners have questioned what passengers are getting in return.

For Farnham passengers, a 5.9 per cent hike could mean:

A standard annual season ticket from Farnham to London Waterloo would go up from £4,548 to £4,816, a £268.33 increase.

A standard annual season ticket with Travelcard from Farnham to London Waterloo would increase from £5,508 to £5,832.97, a rise of £324.97.

Regulated fares must rise by the cap on average, meaning individual fares may vary come March.

Before Covid, rail fares were raised in January each year by the RPI inflation rate plus one per cent. However, “for one year only” the government has capped fares at 5.9 per cent. Current prices have also been frozen for January and February.