TRADE union campaigners are today protesting against rail fare hikes at some of South West’s train stations - including Weymouth and Dorchester.

Fares increased this week by 2.3 per cent, leaving many passengers angry at another annual price rise.

The figure is the average increase across all rail tickets and came into effect yesterday.

The TUC led Action for Rail campaign and Bring Back British Rail, who call for re-nationalisation of the railways, are protesting outside a dozen railways stations across the South West - including Weymouth, Dorchester, Sherborne, Wareham Poole and Bournemouth.

The protests are taking place on the first working day of 2017 since the price rise which union leaders are calling a “rip-off ”.

It comes as new research by the Action for Rail campaign has revealed commuters will be spending up to six times as much of their salaries on rail fares than passengers travelling in other European countries.

South West TUC regional secretary Nigel Costley said: “British commuters are forced to shell out far more on rail fares than others in Europe.

“Many will look with envy at the cheaper, publicly-owned services on the continent.

“Years of failed privatisation has left us with sky-high ticket prices, overcrowded trains, understaffed services and out-of-date infrastructure.

“Private train companies are milking the system and the government is letting them get away with it.”

According to the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents train operators, around 97p in every pound paid by passengers goes back into running and improving services.

RDG chief executive Paul Plummer said: “Nobody wants to pay more to travel to work and at the moment in some places people aren’t getting the service they are paying for.

“However, increases to season tickets are set by government. Money from fares is helping to sustain investment in the longer, newer trains and more punctual journeys that passengers want.”

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling added: “We are delivering the biggest rail modernisation programme for more than a century, providing more seats and services.

“We have always fairly balanced the cost of this investment between the taxpayer and the passenger.”

Protests will be taking place at Dorchester, Weymouth and Sherborne from 7am to 9pm and at Wareham from 8am to 10am.

Protests will be taking place at Bournemouth station from 12noon to 2pm and again from 5.30pm to 6.45pm and at Poole station between 2.30pm and 3.30pm.