Rail commuters in Merseyside could see a dent in their wallets next year thanks to rising train fares.
An annual season ticket for any route from Liverpool to Manchester could cost an extra £105 if prices rise by the maximum 3.8% cap set by the Department for Transport.
People travelling this route already fork out £2,760 a year for a season ticket.
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Gareth Nye said commuters from towns like Newton-le-Willows already get a raw deal without the 3.8% hike.
The physiology lecturer at Chester Medical School said: "We are a really well connected area but get badly treated when it comes to the rail prices."
He saw his rail fare double when he moved jobs from Liverpool to Manchester, with Newton-le-Willows sitting on the edge of the Merseytravel area.
Gareth is the sole earner in his family since his wife gave up work so she is available to help when she's called into school due to their daughter's type one diabetes.
Further price rises are yet another burden on families amid a rising cost of living.
He told the ECHO: "With another set of price rises, my monthly train fare will exceed £300 a month between Newton-le-Willows and Chester.
"Obviously any extra money being spent is not great, but when the service is the same and you aren't seeing any benefits, it's hard to accept."
The government announced the price hike as rail companies continue to suffer the financial strain of fewer passengers due to covid.
Roughly 200 million fewer rail passenger journeys were made in Great Britain in the latest quarter between July 1 and September 2020, compared with the same period in 2019.
Travel on Merseyrail was 70% of what it was in the same period two years ago, according to the latest figures from the Office of Rail and Road.
Across Great Britain, the number of journeys using season tickets was just over a quarter of what it was in 2019.
The government delayed the price rise until March 2022 so people have enough time to buy season tickets at the cheaper fare.
Unlike last year, when fares rose by the Retail Price Index (RPI) plus one, soaring inflation means the increase in 2022 will be lower than the current RPI measure, which is 7.1%
Announcing the change, rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris MP said: "Capping rail fares in line with inflation while tying it to the July RPI strikes a fair balance, ensuring we can continue to invest records amounts into a more modern, reliable railway, ease the burden on taxpayers and protect passengers from the highest RPI in years.
"Delaying the changes until March 2022 offers people the chance to save money by renewing their fares at last year's price.
"That includes the 100,000 people who are already making savings with cheaper and more convenient flexible season tickets.
"We're driving ahead with the reforms in our Plan for Rail, creating a more passenger-focused railway that delivers a truly first-class service for everyone."
