Thousands of rail passengers are to stage a fares strike in protest at tomorrow’s price increases of more than double the rate of inflation on some of Britain’s least punctual, most overcrowded lines.

Organisers are planning to build on a successful strike a year ago in the West Country and will join forces with other groups to hold a much wider revolt.

More Trains Less Strain, a commuter campaign group, will issue thousands of special “tickets”, which passengers will present to rail staff instead of normal tickets.

The main target of the protest is First Great Western, which has one of Britain’s biggest rail franchises, handling more than 75 million passengers a year. It is the worst-performing company, with almost a fifth of trains running late. However, despite this it is raising many fares by 10 per cent from tomorrow, adding hundreds of pounds to the annual cost of travelling by rail.

The campaigners’ tickets will have different wording, such as “Worst Late Western” for “First Great Western”.

Last January 2,000 passengers in the Bristol and Bath area took similar direct action about overcrowding on local trains that resulted in passengers having to stand in toilets. After the strike FGW agreed to lease extra carriages.

This year the protest will cover a much wider area. The group has received messages of support from passengers across the country who are frustrated by above-inflation increases. Other services to be hit by big fare rises include some lines operated by SouthEastern and National Express East Anglia.

Peter Andrews, a publisher from Bath and co-ordinator of More Trains Less Strain, said: “We are willing to pay a reasonable fare for a reasonable service, but they are trying to make us pay 10 per cent more to travel in dreadful conditions. FGW has been raking in the profits, but that is its job. The blame ultimately lies with the Government for trying to slash rail subsidy and failing to take action against an incompetent train company.”

The group is holding a public meeting in Bath on January 15 to decide on a strike date. Action is likely at the end of this month or early in February. A spokesman for the Portsmouth mainline passengers group said: “We are willing to take part in this protest to highlight South West Trains exorbitant fares and horribly cramped services.”

Last year FGW avoided confrontation by accepting the mocked-up tickets.

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