Commuters will see increases of more than four per cent for annual season tickets from Thursday.

Fares from Southminster, Burnham and Althorne to London Liverpool Street will rise by £160.

The biggest percentage increase in the Maldon district will be for passengers using Althorne station, where the cost will go up by 4.1 per cent from £3,872 to £4,032.

Price increases have been capped at the rate of inflation, which is 3.1 per cent, rather than the planned inflation plus 1 per cent.

But a spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group, which announced the new fares, said train companies are allowed to use small increases on some lines to offset larger increases.

That means a group’s average increase could still be 3.1 per cent.