COMMUTERS travelling into London by train will be hit with fare increases of as much as 15 per cent in the new year.

From January 2 Southeastern's regulated fares which include season tickets and standard returns will increase by an average of 6.8 per cent.

However the price of some weekly season tickets will shoot up way beyond the average rate.

Travellers from Hayes will pay 15 per cent more for a weekly season ticket from January with prices up to £28.50 from £24.80.

Passengers from Bexleyheath will have to find £3.40 more per week as the cost of a weekly season ticket is going up from £25.80 to £28.50.

Travellers from north Kent will also be hit in the pocket with a weekly ticket from Gravesend going up by just under 12 per cent from £50.10 to £56.

A ticket from Dartford is going to increase by £3.10 from £38.90 to £42 which is a rise of around eight per cent.

While the cost of travelling from Beckenham Junction will go up nine per cent to £23.20 from £21.30 for a weekly season ticket.

Orpington and Bromley South stations maintain a below average rise for the same ticket - with prices going up just 4 per cent from £33.10 to £34.50 and from £27.30 to £28.50 respectively.

A spokesman for Southeastern said: "The company is operating more services, performance is at record levels, many of our stations are looking lighter and brighter, we are on course to introduce high-speed services by December 2009, complaints are down and customer praise has increased.

"So in return for increased revenue, good progress is being made and the quality of service and value for money we're providing to our passengers is improving."

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