Rail expert Christian Wolmar demanded renationalisation yesterday in a stinging attack on the profits creamed from Britain’s network by foreign state-owned operators.

As ticket price rises kicked in for 2015 the transport commentator branded the current set-up “completely unfair” and said franchises should be taken back into public hands.

And foreign state-backed companies that run three-quarters of Britain’s rail franchises are using profits paid for by British passengers to improve services and cut fares in their own countries, the Campaign group Action for Rail (AfR) warned.

Leading rail privateer Arriva is actually fully owned by Germany’s Deutsche Bahn.

French state operator SNCF and Holland’s Nederlandse Spoorwegen are also leading players in Britain’s privatised rail network.

Mr Wolmar said: “They are looking to get as much profit in Britain, which they transfer home and use to invest in their own railways or to keep fares down.

“If foreign governments can take part in our railways and make a profit out of them, why can’t we have our own government agencies bidding for them?

“My feeling is to allow the franchises to lapse and get taken over by the state.”

The Department for Transport claims the franchises invest millions in Britain and return billions to taxpayers.

But Transport Salaried Staffs Association general secretary Manuel Cortes said: “Allowing German, French and Dutch rail firms to run our rail franchises means that British passengers pay the highest fares in Europe while at the same time keeping fares down in those countries.”