THE cap keeping commuter season ticket rises below the rate of inflation was scrapped this week, another example of commuters being asked to fork out.

Now passengers travelling from major routes into London face ticket increases of an average of four per cent.

The decision followed a long period of consultation by the Strategic Rail Authority, which is chaired by Blackburn-born Richard Bowker.

It found that since 1999 the farepayer's contribution to the costs of operating and investing in the rail network had fallen from around 75% per cent of the total spending on railways to around 55 per cent today.

A continuation of the existing fares regime would see this percentage fall below 50 per cent.

About 44 per cent of the annual fares revenue of £3.4 billion comes from those regulated fares.

So allowing larger price rises on those services is an easy way of raising a massive amount of cash. Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said fare increases above the rate of inflation would be necessary to avoid increasing the burden on the taxpayer.

He added: "We have got to get the balance right between what the passenger pays and what the taxpayer pays.

"One thing is certain, the money can only come from one of those two sources."

Mr Bowker said: "I'm not saying there will be no service cuts but in three years' time when we will have finished this process there will be more trains and more passengers."