Train company chiefs were accused of masking the full extent of today's announced annual rail fares' increase which will see passengers paying an average of 1.1 per cent more for their tickets in January.

Passenger groups and rail unions said train companies were "spinning the figures" with the TSSA union saying that some advance purchase tickets would rise by 15 per cent in the new year.

There was particular anger at the fact that the Association of Train Operating Companies had chosen not to announce how much unregulated fares, which include cheap day returns, were rising.

With regulated fares, which include season tickets, going down 0.4 per cent in January due to an RPI inflation-linking formula, Atoc was able to highlight the fact that the overall rail-fare increase of 1.1 per cent was the lowest annual rise since rail privatisation in the mid 1990s.

But while welcoming the freeze, or fall, on some fares, Anthony Smith, chief executive of rail customer watchdog Passenger Focus said: "There is a sting in the tail. Many unregulated fares will continue to soar above inflation as the average figures published today will mask steep rises on individual routes.

"We call upon the industry to be clear about which fares are going up and to publish average increases for unregulated fares for each train operating company."

Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT transport union, said the train companies were coming out with "spin and gloss" and that there would be some "massive fare hikes" on some lines in January.

TSSA general secretary Gerry Doherty said Atoc should win an award for an "outrageous piece of spin". He claimed that unregulated fares would be rising by an average of 5%.

Mr Doherty added that a supersaver fare from London to Swindon inis rising from £20 to £23, an increase of 15 per cent.

Atoc said today that the average cost of a train journey would rise from £5.05 to £5.11 from January.

Atoc chief executive Michael Roberts said: "Not only is January's average fare rise the lowest since privatisation, but it will come in well below the rate of inflation, meaning a real- terms cut in prices for many passengers.

"We should keep a sense of proportion about what passengers pay. How many people would guess that the average price paid for a single train journey comes in at around £5 and that the vast majority of people travel on some form of discounted travel?

"Record performance, better services and value-for-money fares have contributed to the highest number of passengers travelling by rail for 60 years.

"The January fare change means that rail travel continues to be good value for money when compared with cars and planes."

Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Norman Baker said: "Even though inflation has been falling, rail companies still managed an overall increase in fares.

"We all recognise that times are tough but putting rail fares up will not get people back on to the railways."

Unregulated fares on services run by First Great Western will be rising by an average of 2.47 per cent, with some individual tickets going up by nearly 4 per cent.

A turn-up-and-go return from London to Bristol Temple Meads, for example, will go up from £153 to £159.