Commuters are spending more and more of their take-home pay on train fares, a report has found.

Rail fares have risen nearly three times faster than wages over the past five years, according to the study by the Action for Rail campaign.

Season tickets and other regulated fares have risen by 25% since 2010, while average pay went up by just 9%.

Government plans to cap annual rises in regulated fares will cost taxpayers around £700m over the next five years.

Bigger savings could be passed on to passengers if train services were run by the public sector, according to the report

Season tickets could be 10% cheaper by 2017 if routes coming up for tender were given to public sector organisations, it was claimed.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Rail fares have rocketed over the last five years leaving many commuters seriously out of pocket.

“If ministers really want to help hard-pressed commuters they need to return services to the public sector. This is a fair, more sustainable option and it would allow much bigger savings to be passed on to passengers. Introducing an arbitrary cap on fares is simply passing the bill on to taxpayers.

“The government wants the public to subsidise train companies’ profits and bear the cost of the fares cap.”

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “While train companies threaten to throw guards off their services and axe station staff who are essential for safety, turning the network into a paradise for criminals and yobs, they are milking the travelling public for all they can ‎through extortionate fares.

“Every penny of the fare rip-off is sucked out of the system in fat company profits, while crucial rail maintenance and upgrade works are shelved for lack of funds.

“That's the price of two decades of rail privatisation and the whole rotten business needs to be swept away and replaced by a public railway under public control.”

Travelling over August bank holiday weekend? First Great Western are set to strike.

And Tube drivers are planning another walk-out next week.