MILLIONS of commuters will be hit with an above-inflation fare rise of 3.1% from January 2.

According to Office of Rail and Road data, it will be the largest rise since January 2013.

Many long-distance commuters will see the annual cost of getting to work increase by more than £100.

Paul Plummer (pictured) chief executive of industry body the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), said: “Nobody wants to pay more to travel, especially those who experienced significant disruption earlier this year.

“Money from fares is underpinning the improvements to the railway that passengers want and which ultimately help boost the wider economy.

“That means more seats, extra services and better connections right across the country.”

There have been calls for prices to be frozen following chaos caused by the implementation of new timetables in May.

Fewer than half (45%) of passengers are satisfied with the value for money of train tickets, according to a survey by watchdog Transport Focus.

Jeremy Varns, campaign co-ordinator for SWR (South Western Railways) Watch, said the government should cancel the rises.

“The situation goes from bad to worse for long-suffering rail users with today’s confirmation that fares will again increase faster than most people’s wages.

“This should be seen in the context of declining performance levels and the unravelling of First MTR’s promises made at the start of the South Western Railway franchise last year.

“UK rail users already pay some of the highest fares in the world, yet the rate of increase shows no signs of abating and the cost of travelling by rail vs road increases further.

“In contrast, car drivers are paying lower fuel prices than in 2011 and will continue to do so while the government prioritises polluting and inefficient road transport over trains, buses and trams.

“We are calling on the Transport Secretary to cancel the fare rises planned for next January.”

l A railcard for people aged between 26 and 30 will go on general sale in January.

The discount cards sold out within hours when 10,000 were made available in March as part of a trial.

After the impact on revenue and passenger numbers was assessed, the so-called millennial railcard is being made available for all 4.5 million Britons aged 26-30.

The RDG said last month the roll-out would take place before the end of the year, but it has been delayed to January 2, coinciding with the fare increase.