Virginia Railway Express commuter-train riders will pay up to 18 percent more after June 28, when the price of a 10-trip ticket goes from $58.05 to $68.40.

The VRE operations board voted unanimously yesterday to increase fares, a move denounced by passengers but not likely to reduce ridership.

The average increase in ticket prices is 6 percent, but commuters from the Fredericksburg region who rely on 10-trip tickets will see costs rise 18 percent.

Originally, VRE officials had proposed increasing the price of those tickets by about 25 percent. But overwhelming opposition among passengers convinced them to roll back the increase slightly.

No one seems happy about VRE's move, but commuters admit they don't have many other options.

"It beats driving to work," said Army Maj. Ernest Parker, a Spotsylvania County resident who works in Crystal City. "It beats having to fight the traffic and the delays."

In addition to price increases, commuters face stricter rules when it comes to using Amtrak trains.

Those holding monthly passes and 10-trip tickets for VRE have been allowed to ride certain Amtrak trains, including several weekend trains, for no extra cost. VRE pays Amtrak $10 for each VRE passenger who rides an Amtrak train--or about $1 million a year.

Now, VRE passengers will cover some of that cost by purchasing a $1 "step-up ticket," in addition to their VRE ticket, when taking a weekday Amtrak train.

A VRE ticket will no longer be good on a weekend Amtrak train. Commuters riding on the weekend--even if they're going to work--will need to purchase an Amtrak ticket. A round-trip ticket between Fredericksburg and Washington can run about $50.

"The service is still there, but VRE is not going to subsidize this service," said Dale Zehner, VRE's acting chief operating officer.

VRE is also introducing a five-day pass, which costs the same as eight single-ride tickets. It's good for five consecutive days, not including weekends and holidays, from the time it's validated.

The new fare structure will generate an extra $1 million for VRE next year, Zehner said. Most of that is to cover increases in operating costs, but $200,000 will be used to match a federal grant to provide extra security at train stations, he said.

Though he voted for the changes, Stafford supervisor and VRE board member Bob Gibbons said the agency needed to be careful how it presented the information to the public.

"We built VRE because we had a good relationship with the people," he said. "We've got to temper this just a little bit."

Board Vice Chairwoman Elaine McConnell, a Fairfax County supervisor, said member communities and the General Assembly should kick in more money for VRE in the future so passengers don't see increased rates.