A protest was held outside Watford Junction this morning in response to the rail fare hikes which have come into place today.

Members of the Watford Labour Party, including parliamentary candidate Chris Ostrowski, and councillors Jagtar Singh-Dhindsa and Asif Khan and Mo Mills held posters outside the transport hub this morning.

Mr Ostrowski says his annual Watford to zone 1 season ticket renewal in March will cost him an "inflation-busting" £114 more a year.

He said: "Rail users across the country will be feeling the pinch.

"I will have to pay an additional, inflation-busting, £114 per year.

"Those of us on the 8.06 to Euston this morning on platform 9 didn't see an improvement in the service - the train was late and we were packed in like sardines - again.

"A Labour Government would cap fares at an affordable level, re-invest profits to improve reliability and the quality of the service. Public ownership of the railways will give Watford's commuters a better deal."

The East of England's member of European Parliament, Alex Mayer, has also slammed the rail fare increases.

She said Brits spend 55p per mile travelling by rail and that the country needed to learn from its European counterparts, “It costs half that in Ireland at 27p and Belgium at 24p, while German passengers pay just 19p a mile,” Ms Mayer said.

The new year increase will push a Watford Junction to London season ticket to £3,204.

Ms Mayer said: “Give commuters a break. Surely after the delays, cancellations and overcrowding on the railways last year, the government should not be allowing fares to increase faster than many people’s wages. We need to be encouraging people onto trains not putting obstacles in the way.

"It is time to learn from Europe. Why should British commuters pay five times as much as other Europeans just to get to work each day?

"The Government could have used its power to cap regulated fares, instead they have let train companies off the hook and failed to stand up for passengers."