LONG-SUFFERING commuters have reacted with fury to news that train fares are to rise next year.

Thousands of Southern passengers in Sussex have suffered months of delays and disruption caused by strikes, crew shortages, broken down trains and signalling problems.

Fares on Southern, Gatwick Express and Thameslink services are to go up by an average of 1.8 per cent on January 2.

In the latest of a long line of delays there were problems on the Brighton main line on Thursday evening due to a signalling fault in the Balcombe area.

The fault was fixed by 5pm but there were knock on delays during the rest of the evening.

The ongoing strikes are due to a dispute over plans to introduce driver only trains on the network and further industrial action is planned next week.

The price rise announcement came at the same time the Department for Transport (DfT) announced a one-off £15 million compensation package for passengers affected by the disruption.

Commuters and campaigners said they were shocked at the increase and called for train fares to be frozen instead.

Lucy Thorne, 22, from Seaford, said: "I think it's absolutely ridiculous. I don't know how they can get away with it.

"We have had to put up with disruption since around March, which is absolutely ridiculous. It would be good if people came together and maybe appealed against it.

"I use Southern every day and spend an extortionate amount. For the quality of service, it's terrible.

"In the summer I was getting replacement buses which were actually better because you knew they were going to be there on time and run three times an hour.

"But when you turn up here you don't know what's going to happen."

Fellow Seaford commuter Derek Wynn, 40, said: "With the amount of disruption I think people should be given a discount."

Alex Lloyd, 37, who pays around £4,500 for an annual ticket from Bognor to London, said: "It's a bit unbelievable to be honest. They should be charging less for the service they're providing."

Hove MP Peter Kyle welcomed the compensation announcement but criticised the price rise.

He said: “I fear the government is robbing Peter to pay Paul with this £15million windfall and what I’d really like to see is a fare freeze until this shambles is sorted.”

Lewes MP Maria Caulfield said she was appalled by the proposed increase in fares.

Rail, Maritime and Transport union general secretary Mick Cash described the fares announcement as "another kick in the teeth for British passengers".

Paul Plummer, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group which represents train operators, said they "understand how passengers feel when fares go up" and accepted that in some areas they "haven't always got the service they pay for".

Southern's rise is not as high as other companies, which are averaging at 2.3 per cent.

Passengers will also be the first to benefit from the new Delay Repay scheme, where people can claim compensation is their service is 15 minutes late, instead of the current 30 minutes.

Charles Horton, chief executive of Govia Thameslink Railway, Southern's parent company, said: "Our passengers have had to endure many months of disruption and misery due to industrial action and poor performance and for that I am truly sorry.

"While they have clearly been able to claim under our Delay Repay scheme, we welcome this additional compensation package.

"It is also good news that our passengers will be the first to benefit from Delay Repay 15 as it is something our passengers have been telling us they want for some time. Our aim is always to get passengers to where they want to go on time, but if we don’t, it is right that they are compensated.”