Sussex rail passengers have been hit by more “rip-off” fares, with a third hike in price in a year.

A fresh row broke out over the cost of train travel yesterday as it was disclosed the cost of a railcard will leap by 25%.

From next Sunday(MAY17) the cost of a Network Railcard will increase from £20 to £25.

The minimum fare for card users will increase from £10 to £13.

Student and old people's railcards will increase by £2 to £26 on the same day, while minimum fares for students and members of the armed forces will increase from £8 to £12.

The increases were disclosed by the Transport Salaried Staffs Association, whose members working in ticket offices received letters this week detailing the new prices.

General secretary Gerry Doherty said: “This increase is outrageous even by the low money-grabbing standards usually employed by the private rail companies.”

Prices for peak time tickets and off peak travel have already increased for Sussex train users in the last year.

The Association of Train Operating Companies said the Network Railcard had not increased in price for 12 years, during which time the cost of living had jumped by 30%, while the minimum fare had remained the same for the past seven years.

Lewes MP Norman Baker, the Lib Dem transport spokesman, said: “It's an own goal for the industry and it's an own goal for tackling climate change.

“The modes of transport which are least polluting are becoming more expensive as the most polluting forms of transport are becoming cheaper.

“The whole point about railcards and off-peak travel is you invest a huge amount of money in trains which are heavily used at certain times but sit idle for most of the day and they should want to encourage people to go off-peak.”