RAIL groups in Bradford want to see services in the district improve to offset another increase in fares.

Passengers will see season ticket prices rise by an average of one per cent next January. Fares overall have jumped 25 per cent since 2010, while average pay has increased nine per cent, according to a study by the Action For Rail campaign.

The information comes after the announcement of the July inflation figures. The new-year rises are based on the previous July's rate of Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation, announced by the Office for National Statistics.

The one per cent increase will be the lowest rise since 2010, when fares actually decreased by 0.4 per cent.

James Vasey and Tim Calow, chairmen of Bradford Rail Users' Group and Aire Valley Rail Users' Group, respectively, said the price increases needed to transfer into improved services in the north of England.

Mr Vasey said: "As an increase it is not as high as it has been in the past, but with the pause to the Northern Powerhouse and electrification of West Yorkshire, I think we are continuing to get a poor deal.

"The money and the major investment is going to the south and south-east, but not up here in the north.

"People, in January, will once again see that investment has gone south and not on trains that they are sat on. We are putting money in and it is going down south.

"We need that investment back in the north and Yorkshire, and to get it spent on local trains and infrastructure. If people were seeing a rise but also seeing direct benefits they would probably still complain, but not as much.

"We are legitimately feeling aggrieved."

Mr Vasey said investments in stations at Apperley Bridge and Low Moor could not be counted as the money for those projects was set aside pre-2010.

"The two new stations are fantastic for the area, the economy and getting traffic off the roads, but it is not new investment."

Mr Calow said: "We would be relatively comfortable with price increases if we saw some improvements. We are looking to see something for the money and the price increases that have happened over the last few years."

He added: "A one per cent increase is probably not unreasonable. But we have not really seen a great deal of investment in our local lines."

David Sidebottom, director of transport user watchdog Transport Focus, said: "Fares are set to increase again, but passengers will be relieved to see that fare rises in England are being capped at inflation.

"They will be pleased to see that there is no flexibility for individual fares to go up by more than this. Both of these are things we have pushed for."

Since 2011 annual fare rises have been between 2.5 per cent and 6 per cent.