Rail passengers using Southeastern trains face a 1% hike in fares next year.

The increase is one of the lowest rises for regulated fares across the network for several years.

Regulated fares - notably season tickets - rose by 2.2% for Southeastern services in 2015.

The increase in 2016 will see annual season ticket prices on High Speed 1 trains from Ashford to London go up by £60 to £6,116.

From Maidstone, season ticket prices on HS1 will rise to £5,207 and for Canterbury, the annual cost will rise to £6,152.

There will be more modest increases for so-called ‘classic’ services run by

Southeastern.

The cost of an annual season ticket from Maidstone to London will increase to £4,221 and in Chatham, it will go up to £3,914.

Southeastern declined to comment but a statement from the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train franchise holders, welcomed the news.

Edward Welsh said: “Next January’s change in regulated fares will be the smallest for six years, in line with July’s low inflation rate. The railway is a vital public service, underpinning economic growth and attracting more passengers every year.

"In one of the biggest investment programmes in rail’s history, government is spending billions of pounds on more trains, improved stations and better services.

“We understand that people don’t like to pay more to travel to work.

"But more than 97p in every pound spent on fares goes on trains, staff and other day-to-day running costs, helping to sustain the government’s massive rail investment programme.”

The government had already announced regulated rail fares in England would rise by no more than RPI inflation for this parliament.

Rail minister Clare Perry said: “Next year’s fares will see some of the lowest increases for decades.

"With the economy recovering, and wages recovering, for the first time in over a decade you’ll actually see wage growth outstripping any change in rail fares.”