Labour Party supporters in the Watford area have voiced their anger at the New Year increase in train fares.

Irate commuters gathered outside Watford Junction station to protest the 5.8 per cent hike in season ticket prices.

The rise in fares, proposed last November by the Coalition Ggovernment, has led the cost of commuting into London to jump to more £2,800 annually.

Watford Labour Party chairman Mike Jackson, of Kingsfield Road, Bushey, said: “This Lib Dem/Tory government hit Watford commuters hard by reversing the decision Labour took in government to force train companies to apply price controls to fares individually. Now many local commuters will see their fares go up by £156 a year.”

London Midland, who run the busy Watford Junction-London Euston line, increased their fares by 5.8 per cent, which equates to the Retail Price Index of 4.8 per cent plus one per cent.

They claim these figures are “in line with the overall industry average of 6.2 per cent increase”.

Transport for London (TfL) have also taken the opportunity to raise their fares, with some weekly travel cards going up by 8.8 per cent.

TfL said passenger numbers “fell significantly” in 2009 due to the recession.

Numbers went back up in 2010, only to be hit in 2011 with these New Year prices.

Leavesden Road resident Emma Collins highlighted the effect of pricing on the number of passengers.

She said: “In opposition the Tories said that an increase in rail fares of this amount would price people off the railways. Now these fare rises from the Lib Dem/Tory coalition could lead to more congestion as commuters get back in their cars.”