Rail passengers will have to fork out more for their train tickets as rail fares have been upped once again - despite a collapse in demand due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Across England, ticket prices have increased above inflation rates by around 2.6%, leading to accusations that the UK Government is “pricing the railways out of existence”.

The figure represents the Retail Prices Index measure of inflation from July 2020, plus one percentage point.

Examples of fare hikes include a Brighton-London annual season ticket going up by £128 to £5,108 and a Manchester-Glasgow off-peak return rising by £2.30 to £90.60.

Margaret Manilow, a midwife who commutes from Hampshire to London Waterloo, said she was “shocked” that fares had gone up.

The 62-year-old added: “I work full-time, and I commute on a daily basis so it will be quite a lot.”

Demand for rail travel has plummeted during the coronavirus pandemic, with passenger numbers currently down 85% on normal levels.

Network Rail boss Sir Peter Hendy said last week that the volume of journeys by commuters may only recover to 60% of what it was before the outbreak.

Fare rises in England have mirrored RPI since January 2014, but the Department for Transport (DfT) axed the policy due to the “unprecedented taxpayer support” handed to the rail industry during the coronavirus pandemic.

The UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments took over rail franchise agreements from train operators in March 2020, following the collapse in demand for travel caused by the virus crisis.

This is expected to cost the Westminster Government alone around £10 billion by mid-2021.

Fares usually become more expensive on the first working day of every year, but the 2021 rise was deferred due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Bruce Williamson, of pressure group Railfuture, described the increase as “the usual annual punishment for rail passengers, just slightly delayed”.

He claimed the UK Government “should be encouraging the public to start using trains again” when lockdown restrictions ease.

“But instead they’re gradually pricing the railways out of existence,” he said. “It just doesn’t make sense to kick the rail industry when it’s down.”

Rises in around half of fares – including season tickets on most commuter routes – are regulated by the UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments.

Train operators determine increases in unregulated fares such as Advance tickets, but this year they are heavily linked to rises in regulated tickets as governments have taken on firms’ financial liabilities.

That means the overall average increase across England and Wales is around 2.6%.

A DfT spokeswoman noted that this is the lowest rise in four years “despite unprecedented taxpayer support for the rail industry”.