Rail fares in Sussex will rise by up to nine per cent on some lines in the New Year, it was announced today.

Passengers on lines through Kent into East Sussex and Hastings, temporarily run by the Strategic Rail Authority after Connex lost the franchise, face the brunt of the increases.

Fares on the main line from Hastings to Charing Cross will go up by nine per cent.

Elsewhere fares on the Brighton Line, along the Sussex Coast, and through West Sussex to Chichester will increase by just over four per cent.

The SRA said the nine per cent increases had arisen "as a result of differing fare policies between Transport for London and the SRA in the past".

Shelley Atlas, chair of Brighton Line Commuters, speaking on a train from the Sussex Coast that was 20 minutes late into London Bridge today, said: "We all realised fares would have to go up but we want to see an improvement in services, especially with regard to timekeeping.

"Train companies say the fares have to go up because they are improving the service but we have to ask what they spend the money on."

The increase of four per cent will see the price of an annual season ticket from Brighton to London rise from £2,720 to almost £3,000. It means people will have to earn at least an extra £8,000 a year to make it worthwhile giving up a job in Brighton to commute to London.

The cost of a day return to London during the early morning rush hour on trains run by South Central into London will rise to nearly £30, with the cheapest off-peak ticket without a discount Railcard rising to over £13.

Exact fares will be announced in the coming weeks On some cross country services run by Virgin which use Brighton, there will be rises of six per cent.