BRITAIN needs to re-nationalise the railway to stop commuters being ripped off, according to a union leader.

Ed Glasson, secretary of Bracknell Unite the union, spoke after the news broke that rail fares were being increased by 3.6 per cent, the biggest spike in prices in five years. 

The increase will mean a season ticket from Wokingham into London for a year will set you back £4,707, rather than the current £4,544.

For those going from Bracknell to London Waterloo, an annual pass will cost £3,700 rather than £3,572. 

Mr Glasson said: “This is outrageous and way above inflation.

“Fares have moved up at twice the rate of inflation. 

“The tax payer is putting in three or four times more than what was needed, and the extra revenue is going to their shareholders, and not to the people who work for the railways.

“We have the second highest rail fares in Europe. 

“The solution is blindingly obvious, and that is to take the railways back into public ownership, and back into British ownership. 

“It doesn’t seem to be a problem for the railways to be owned by foreign countries, but not our own.”