Rail passengers are facing the biggest fare rise for nine years.
Prices including most season tickets will go up by 3.8% from Tuesday – just as millions return to offices.
The move has been branded a rip-off amid soaring prices for food and power.
Silviya Barrett, of the Campaign for Better Transport, said: “Given we’re in the midst of a cost of living crisis, this fare rise couldn’t have come at a worse time.
“In order to kick-start the green economic recovery, we want people travelling by train as much as possible, not staying at home because fares are prohibitively high or driving in and clogging up the roads.”
Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the TSSA transport union, said: “Jacking up rail fares as we begin the journey out of a pandemic is a staggeringly stupid move by this Tory government.
“It’s almost as though ministers want to force people into cars in an effort to speed up our climate crisis.
“For years we saw commuters clobbered by above inflation fares while shareholders laughed all the way to the bank. We need our railways to be in public hands and work for all.”
Ministers say the hike places more of the burden for running the railways on users rather than on all taxpayers.
