WORCESTER MP Robin Walker says the rail service in Worcester has to improve to warrant the planned price increase, despite it being the smallest rise for a number of years.

Today, Friday, The Rail Delivery Group which represents train operators and Network Rail, announced fares for Worcestershire rail passengers will rise by an average of one per cent from January 2 and said it was the smallest annual rise for six years.

Although the 2016 rise for regulated fares is limited to no more than one per cent - as it is linked to July's rate of Retail Price Index inflation - unregulated fares, such as off-peak leisure tickets, can go up by as much as the train companies like.

News of the increase comes the day after train operator London Midland announced £13 million is to be spent on improvements to services after its contract between London and the North of England was extended for another 18 months.

"I understand that it is the smallest increase for some years, but any increase should mean a better service should be delivered. The service we get in Worcester needs to be faster and more frequent with more rolling stock," he said. "I have been campaigning to get the service to London down to under two hours. It has been in the past and should be in the future. When electrification of the Great Western mainline is completed we should make sure that we get some of the rolling stock," he said.

Mr Walker added: "I am always pushing London Midland and Great Western Railways to try to run more and faster trains with extra carriages. There is one that gets to London in just two hours and many in two-and-a-half hours.

"Given the increase, we have to make sure that they deliver a better service. I'm sure rail users will be happy to pay it if the service is to be improved. At the moment the service we get in Worcester is not worth the money that is being paid for."

The electrification of the Great Western main line will free up the current diesel-hauled carriages as they won't be able to be used. A spokesman for London Midland said there is a current national shortage of diesel rolling stock which is bought by the government and leased to the rail operators. Each carriage costs over a million pounds and no new ones have been built since 2012. There is no date, yet, for the completion of electrification work.

Francis Thomas, for London Midland added: "We are putting up regulated fares, such as day of travel and season tickets, by the rate of inflation announced in July so we are increasing them by one per cent. Our unregulated fares go up and down throughout the year depending on usage. Regulated fares make up around 50 per cent of tickets sold."

Great Western Railway spokesman James Davies said its average prices across regulated and unregulated fares were also going up on average by one per cent.