DORSET train passengers could be hit by the largest fares rise in a decade.

Increases are usually linked to the previous July’s Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation, which was confirmed as 3.8 per cent for July 2021 by the Office for National Statistics on Wednesday.

No announcement has been made on what will happen to fares next year, but ticket prices in England and Wales rose by an average of around 2.6 per cent in March, representing RPI for July 2020 plus one percentage point.

A spokesperson from South Western Railway said: “The publication of the July RPI figure doesn’t constitute a decision about fares increases for next year – the government has yet to make a decision on this.”

Robert Nisbet, director of nations and regions at the Rail Delivery Group, said: “Now more than ever, it is government that controls changes to rail fares and it has yet to decide what will happen next year.

“While government rightly decides the balance between how much farepayers and taxpayers contribute to running the railway, any decision should be viewed against the decade long freeze in fuel duty and government proposals to cut Air Passenger Duty for domestic flights.

“Getting people out of cars and planes is essential to meet net-zero targets. While rail accounts for 10 per cent of journeys, it is responsible for just 1 per cent of transport emissions. To make trains a more attractive choice, operators want to work with government to reform fares and make it easier for people to get a good deal.”

England and Wales could see fares rise by an average of 4.8 per cent next year, which would be the largest increase since 2012.

This would lead to hikes in the cost of annual season tickets, such as:

Bournemouth to Weymouth: Up £165 to £3,601

Bournemouth to Southampton Central: Up £146 to £3,194

Bournemouth to London Waterloo: Up £352 to £7,676

Rises in fares for mainline rail services across Britain are controlled by the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments.

A spokesman for the UK Government’s Department for Transport said: “No decision has been made on national rail fares.

“The Government is considering a variety of options and we will announce our decision in due course.”

Rail fares are usually increased every January, but the coronavirus pandemic meant this year’s increase was delayed until March 1.