RAIL commuting is now up to 7.5 times more expensive than in Europe after an “outrageous” 4.9 per cent price hike came into force in England and Wales yesterday.

Public transport campaigners said passengers were being “punished” with cancellations at some of their highest levels for 10 years and shareholder dividends tripling to £410 million in the last financial year.

Rail fares have risen by 28 per cent more than wages since 2010, TUC analysis has found, with the cost of seasonal commuter tickets in Britain as a proportion of average wages now up to 7.5 times higher compared to similar distance journeys in France, Germany, Belgium and Ireland.