Frustrated rail commuters in Wharfedale and district this week faced a new blow - a hike in the cost of their travel permits.

After months of delayed and cancelled rail services, train travellers are set to face a 2.5 per cent rise in the cost of their Metro cards from next month.

Today the move was branded "a disgrace" by a leading councillor and 'disappointing' by Wharfedale Rail Users Group.

Passengers across the Bradford district had been handed a seven per cent reduction in the cost of the Metro travel permits - which can be bought weekly, monthly or quarterly - because rail services have been hit across the district by cancellations and delays.

Arriva Trains Northern travellers have been forced to ride on the buses, wait for trains that never turn-up or abandon the rails altogether as the company cancelled around 100 services a day under an emergency timetable.

The problems arose as the company struggled to recruit drivers.

But having given a cost reduction with one hand, the rail company will claim it back when the cost of the fares goes up in March.

And at the same time, the compensation will end as train bosses hope normal rail services will resume.

The prices of bus-only cards have already increased by 30p a week, £1.80 for monthly cards and £4 for quarterly cards.

The price of annual Metro bus-only cards and bus/rail cards will be frozen, however.

The new blow for rail travellers is expected to cause a storm at Bradford's Passenger Consultative Committee.

Councillor Ann Ozolins, a Bradford Council member and also a member of West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority, said: "I think it is a disgrace.

"We are compensating people for a terrible time and then we are taking it back from them in this way. It is totally wrong."

Derrick Joanes, chairman of the Wharfedale Rail Users group, agreed the move was likely to cause consternation among train travellers.

"It is disappointing that they have still gone ahead with the annual increase. I think it should have been frozen for all card users," he said.

But the chairman of the Bradford Passenger Transport Consultative Committee, Councillor John Prestage - also Bradford spokesman on the PTA - said although Arriva would fund the compensation package, the subsidised Metro cards were funded by public money.

He said: "All the West Yorkshire authorities contribute to the card scheme for the benefit of the public.

"The compensation is a different matter, but we are holding off implementing the price rise for Metro cards as long as possible."

However, Kieran Preston, Director General of the PTA, will tell Bradford's consultation committee on Friday that a second stage of compensation is planned when services are fully restored.

He said a system is being considered where compensation is targeted at routes and passengers who have suffered most as a result of the poor services. Committee members will be asked for their views on the route-based package before proposals are worked up.

The compensation packages follow months of chaos when thousands of passengers were left waiting on platforms which did not arrive.

Arriva Trains Northern, which covers most of the district's rail services, has been fined a total of £13 million in a year by the Strategic Rail Authority because of its poor performance.

The company blames an acute shortage of drivers and says it inherited the problem when it took over the franchise in 2000.

It says large numbers of staff are now training but drivers are also leaving to go to other operators with higher salaries.

It introduced a temporary timetable last October, axing and reducing some services and using bus replacements.

Mr Joanes said: "I think it is better than it was before when it was appalling. There have been problems, but there have been fewer cancellations."

The bus/train cards weekly increase will be up to 50p, depending on distance.

The monthly increase will be up to £2 and quarterly Metro cards will rise by up to £4. There are different rates for students on the weekly and monthly cards.