Rail passengers expressed their anger over fare increases yesterday with protests at London's King's Cross station as annual season tickets rose by 3.1 per cent.

Many were shocked to learn that the average British commuter spends 12 per cent of their wages on transport while in France and Germany it's just 4 per cent.

"It's a lot of money for a poor service," said teacher Simon Jones, 30, as he waited to board a train to Newcastle upon Tyne with his friend Ben James, 33.

Mr Jones was on a leisure trip but he and Mr James normally commute to work in London from Wandsworth in south-west London.

He said: "Fares are pretty high. My salary has just gone up 1 per cent but fares are rising around 3 per cent. There are delays practically every day."

The 3.1 per cent rise taking effect is for regulated fares which include season tickets. The increase on unregulated fares, typically off-peak leisure tickets, is not capped.

The regulated fare increase pushes some commuters into the £5,000-a-year "club," with annual season tickets to London from Deal and Dover Priory costing £5,012.

The rise also means some annual season tickets will break the £4,000 mark, with a Basingstoke-London annual fare now costing £4,076.

Rail Minister Stephen Hammond attempted to placate angry commuters by appearing at King's Cross station and denying that the nation's fares were the highest in Europe.

He claimed some of the comparisons had been made using some of Britain's more-expensive routes and some of the ultra-cheap European ones.

Passengers at King's Cross were also greeted by trade union campaigners urging rail reform.

RMT rail union general secretary Bob Crow said: "Train companies are most concerned about providing dividends to shareholders.

"Wages are going up by an average of just 0.8 per cent yet rail fares are going up by an average of more than 3 per cent."

Train drivers' union Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: "Big rail projects are going ahead but it's the day-to-day jobs that are suffering.

"As for overcrowding, cattle are treated better than UK train passengers."