Rail passengers are to be hit by the largest fares hike in five years next month.

Maidenhead to London annual season ticket holders, the route of which includes those travelling from Slough and South Bucks stations, will see the cost increase by £104, from £2,988 to £3,092. This is one of the highest increases in the country.

Average ticket prices across Britain will go up by 3.4 per cent on January 2, industry body the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) said this week. It is the sharpest rise since 2013, when fares increased by 3.9 per cent.

Passenger watchdog Transport Focus compared the news to "a chill wind" blowing down platforms as many passengers' incomes are stagnating or falling.

Chief executive Anthony Smith said: "While substantial, welcome investment in new trains and improved track and signals is continuing, passengers are still seeing the basic promises made by the rail industry broken on too many days."

Fewer than half (47 per cent) of passengers are satisfied with the value for money of train tickets, according to Transport Focus.

The largest season ticket increase, which does not include London Travelcard benefits, is the Brighton to London route which is going up by £148 from £4,184 to £4,332.

The RDG said more than 97p in every pound from fares goes back into improving and running the railway.

Chief executive Paul Plummer noted that the Government controls increases to almost half of fares while the rest are "heavily influenced" by the payments train companies make as part of contracts to run franchises.