Angry transport workers demanded yesterday that Labour freeze rail fares for a year from next January if it wins May’s general election.

Labour-affiliated union TSSA has urged the party to be tougher on exorbitant ticket prices after a new study showed the cost of travelling on some routes has more than trebled since the industry was flogged off to the private sector.

Research for the union showed that fares on some of the most popular routes in the country have increased by between 141 per cent and 246 per cent over the past 20 years.

Meanwhile inflation has gone up by 77 per cent over the same period.

TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said: “Passengers have paid a terrible price for this political folly. The private rail industry has taken all the gain while passengers have suffered all the pain.

“Passengers have paid a small fortune on fares while rail bosses are paid a fortune.

“We want to end this annual persecution of passengers which started after privatisation. We now want Ed Miliband to treat rail passengers fairly, not just as another source of tax revenue like the Tories have done.”

Labour fell short of committing to the proposal but said its plans for rail reform include reviewing the government’s failed franchise system and capping annual fare rises on every route while creating a new legal right to the cheapest ticket.

A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents Network Rail and train operators, called the figures “misleading” as they only focus on the most expensive fares.