ANGRY commuters from Worcester have slammed “rip off” rail fares price as a looming price hike will leave them paying £16 more per return ticket than they did before.

However, First Great Western defended the price changes which come into force on Sunday, May 17, arguing they represent a better deal for customers – as long as they buy newly available advanced tickets.

First Great Western manage trains on the North Cotswolds line between Worcester stations (Foregate Street and Shrub Hill) to London Paddington.

Using the First Great Western website to look at ticket prices an off peak return to London Paddington now costs £52 for those leaving Shrub Hill at 7.32am and returning to Worcester at 5.22pm).

But if you want to complete the same journey at the same times after the price rises on May 17 a ticket will cost you £68.50, an increase of £16.50 or 32 per cent.

IT specialist Pyers Symon, a rail commuter from Battenhall in Worcester, said the fares increase, particularly that on FGW services between Worcester stations and London Paddington, was so great that it was now cheaper and quicker for him to drive to Warwick Parkway and get a Chiltern Railways service from there to London Marylebone instead.

He fears that the price hike will make rail services from Worcester unviable, provoking an ‘exodus’ of rail commuters to Warwick Parkway. He urged FGW to now introduce a two year price freeze on tickets.

He said: “I’m annoyed about it. If people use Warwick Parkway on a regular basis instead of Worcester stations it will hugely damage the viability of Worcester stations.

“Rail commuters are feeling grim. They are being absolutely hammered. They seem to regard us as a captive audience. The fares are not regulated. That’s the important point. They are trying to raise as much money as they can in the short term. I feel people are being absolutely ripped off.”

Iain Macbriar, a Worcester-based consultancy director, said: "At present, if you go from Worcester to London for the day by train, then the most sensible ticket is an "off-peak Return" (£52). It's not valid on the 6.30am from Shrub Hill, but it is valid on the 7.32am departure. On the way back, you can use this ticket on any train.

"But from May 17 this ticket will no longer be valid on trains back from Paddington between 16.40pm and 6.30pm. Instead you'll have to buy a ticket that costs £68.50 (32 per cent more).

This is effectively a fares increase by stealth."

First Great Western say this introduces thousands of low-cost advance purchase fares following requests from customers and stakeholders alike.

It also introduces peak time fares for the first time, bringing the North Cotswolds in line with all other routes across the Great Western network.

First Great Western is to make 10,000 seats-a-month available from just £10 for passengers travelling between the North Cotswolds and London.

Advance Purchase tickets for the route are to be sold for the first time, allowing passengers to take advantage of 70 per cent discounted rail fares.

Station Manager for the North Cotswolds, Alan Field said: “As a result of these changes, from May 17, the cheapest single fare on this line will drop from £27 to £10.

“Advance Purchase tickets will be made available on all services - as with all other long distance journeys (beyond Didcot Parkway and Pewsey from London Paddington) on the Great Western network.”