RAIL passengers face four per cent rises on season tickets despite falling performance and reliability on the network.

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling is expected to announce the increases next month after concluding a plan from the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) for fare increases of as much as 10 per cent would be political suicide.

The four per cent rise, which is expected to come into effect in January, could help tackle the rail industry’s looming financial crisis.

Network Rail announced last week a loss of £290m, revealing the upkeep cost of Britain’s 20,000 miles of track, 1,100 signal boxes and 40,000 bridges and tunnels had risen by a third to £3.7bn partly due to safety concerns.

The Rail Passengers’ Council says fare rises above inflation are unacceptable while industry costs soar and too little is done to stop fare-dodging.

* What do you think? Should rail users pay more for a service which does not seem to be improving? Write to News Shopper, Mega House, Crest View Drive, Petts Wood, BR5 1BT or email newsshopper_letters@london.newsquest.co.uk