Commuters could see the price of their annual season ticket reach more than £6,000, if price rises are consistent with last year’s.

It means Brighton to London commuters could see their fare top £6,000 for the first time.

English rail fares could increase by eight per cent in 2024 if the government uses the same formula as this year.

Analysis of industry data this would be the highest annual increase since at least 1996, when Britain’s railways were privatised.

The Department for Transport (DfT) aligned this year’s cap on fare increases with Britain’s average earnings growth for July 2022, which was 5.9 per cent.

Figures published by the Office for National Statistics on Tuesday show the same measure for July 2023 was eight per cent.

Using the eight per cent formula, the Brighton to London annual season ticket, which currently costs £5,616, would rise by £449 to £6,065.

That amounts to a rise of more than £37 a month and this excludes the price paid if London travelcards are also purchased for tube and bus journeys in the capital.

The DfT has previously confirmed that next year’s fare rises will be below the retail prices index (RPI) measure of inflation for July – which was nine per cent – but has not announced what formula it will use.

Norman Baker, director of external affairs at pressure group Campaign For Better Transport and former Liberal Democrat transport minister, said: “The government has yet to confirm next year’s rail increase, but if it follows the same formula as last year and uses today’s average earnings growth rate, passengers will face eye-watering increases.

“Rather than hammer rail passengers yet again, the government should freeze rail fares – as they have done with fuel duty – until the long-promised ticketing reform takes place.”

A DfT spokeswoman said: “Following last year’s biggest ever government intervention to cap rail fare increases well below inflation, we’ll continue to protect passengers from cost-of-living pressures and we will not increase next year’s rail fares by as much as the July RPI figure.

“Any increase will also be delayed until March 2024, temporarily freezing fares for passengers to travel at a lower price for the entirety of January and February as the government continues with its plan to halve inflation.”