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Amtrak, which recently postponed steep fare increases for Northeast commuters, revived that plan yesterday on a slightly more gradual schedule.

Beginning Tuesday, general fares on most trains will increase by 5 to 7 percent, the railroad announced.

A larger wallop awaits regular riders who buy monthly passes, some of which carry discounts of nearly 70 percent off the regular fare. The cost of getting to and from work for those riders will increase by hundreds of dollars per month.

The monthly discounts will drop to about 60 percent on Oct. 16. In February, the discounts will be cut to 50 percent.

For example, a monthly pass for travel between 30th Street Station in Philadelphia and Penn Station in New York sells for $633. By February, that would rise to $1,008.

The increases are almost identical to a plan, announced by Amtrak Sept. 9, which was to take effect Monday.

Six days after that initial announcement, amid harsh criticism from riders and some politicians, Amtrak announced it was postponing the increase, pending further review.

"Everything they are doing is what they originally planned, except that the time element is a little different," said Ross Capon, executive director of the National Association of Railroad Passengers. "I would have preferred for them to reexamine the targets."

Capon said some commuters may choose to stockpile advance monthly passes at current rates. But, he added, "That's only helpful if you have a lot of cash lying around, and the people who get hit the hardest are the ones who don't."

About 2,000 Northeast Corridor riders use monthly passes, most of them commuting between Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, according to Amtrak. The 50 percent discount will still be the largest given to commuters by any railroad, Amtrak added.

In its announcement yesterday, the heavily subsidized railroad blamed rising fuel costs and other operating expenses.

"I obviously think it's a major error," said U.S. Rep. Robert E. Andrews (D., N.J.), speaking from an Amtrak train bound for Washington. "At a time when gasoline prices are rising, it makes no sense to raise the price of mass transit."

U.S. Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.) had met in his office with Amtrak president David Gunn on Sept. 15, the day the increases were postponed.

"I don't understand their business decision-making," Fitzpatrick said yesterday, though he remained pleased that Amtrak canceled plans to cut service at Cornwells Heights, its only Bucks County stop.

But yesterday's announcement surprised him.

"There was an understanding that there would be good communication," Fitzpatrick said of his meeting with Gunn. Instead, "I was handed a press release that this decision was made."