Rail commuters have been stung by news that fares will rise above inflation next year.

South West trains confirmed a 4.1 per cent rise to all tickets today with the single cost of a journey expected to rise by 16 pence on average from January 2 2013.

Currently a zone one to six season ticket from Wimbledon or Clapham Junction to London Victoria is £2,136.

Under the new fare structure this will rise to £2,224 from January 2 - an increase of £88.

A peak time travelcard from Wimbledon to London stations currently costs £10.60 but will rise to £11 in the new years, while a travelcard from Clapham Junction to London stations will rise from £8.40 to £8.80, however the cost of advance tickets will remain frozen. 

Richard Hebditch, director of campaigns for better transport, said: "Come January, anyone who relies on the trains will yet again find themselves out of pocket.

"Pricing people off the railways is bad for passengers, bad for the environment and bad for the economy.

"After ten years of above inflation increases, train fares are simply too expensive for many people."

South West Trains fares decreased by 0.4 per cent  in January 2010 only to increase by 5.8 per cent in 2011, 6 per cent in 2012 and now 4.2 per cent in 2013.

Tim Shoveller, managing director of the South West Trains and Network Rail Alliance, said:

"Railway funding can only come from the taxpayer or from the passenger.

"The government’s policy remains that a bigger share must come from people who use the train.

"We know that nobody likes paying more for their travel, especially to get to work. That’s why we are working hard with the rest of the rail industry to make the system more cost-efficient and help take the pressure off future fare rises.

"At the same time, we are investing in our trains and stations to deliver a better railway for our customers."

Passengers can check the new price of their usual ticket or any other fare

For more information on fare prices visit southwesttrains.co.uk or for tips on finding the best fare visit atoc.org/2013fares/finding-the-best-fare.