RAIL fares are set to increase for commuters across Bolton in the new year.

From January 2, ticket prices will go up at least 1.5 per cent for all train users.

An anytime day return from Bolton to Manchester will rise from £6.30 to £6.40, and a 12-month season ticket by £24 from £964 to £988.

Passengers travelling from Horwich to Manchester will have to pay £8.50 for a return in the new year, compared with £8.30 now, while rail users from Westhoughton will have to fork out £8.90 for a return instead of the current £8.70.

Meanwhile those travelling from Bolton to Preston will see return fares go up 2.6 per cent, from £11.50 to £11.80.

Cllr David Chadwick, Bolton Council’s member for transport and highways, described the price hike as "unacceptable".

He said: “I’m unhappy with the situation where once again the fares are going up on average of 2.5 per cent.

“Really the government is taking the biscuit with this one.

“You have a situation still at peak time where if you are travelling into Manchester carriages are overcrowded and are full to capacity, and it is just not on that there’s now going to be an extra charge.”

Martin Abrams, a public transport campaigner from Campaign for Better Transport, said his campaign group is urging whoever wins the next general election to adopt a fairer approach to ticket prices.

He said: “Consecutive governments have deliberately forced up rail fares and it needs to stop. 

“During this parliament, many fares have risen three times faster than wages, affecting all those who rely on trains and putting enormous strain on household budgets."

Michael Roberts, director general of the Rail Delivery Group, which represents rail operators and Network Rail, said money from the fares goes towards running and maintaining the railway which "benefits every household in the country".

He added: “For every pound spent on fares, 97p goes on track, train, staff and other costs while 3p goes in profits earned by train companies for running services on Europe’s fastest growing railway.

“The industry is continuing to work together to get more for every pound we invest to enable government to make fares decisions which work best for passengers.” 

A Northern Rail spokesman said journeys across their network would go up around 10p or 20p per single journey.

He added: “Money raised through fares goes on to invest in improvements to stations, trains and services.

"This includes investment in routes across the north which leads to newer trains and faster journey times. 

“We will, as always, continue to work with the government and the wider rail industry to drive down the cost of running the railway so it can provide long-term value for money for passengers and taxpayers.”