RAIL workers have condemned rising train fares as a “national disgrace.”

Statistics published by the RMT union show that most travellers are struggling to keep up with ticket prices — 70 per cent of passengers surveyed have been negatively affected as a result of price hikes.

The study comes as commuters get news today of the eye-watering fare increases due for 2020. The annual rise on most train fares is pegged to July’s Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation, which will be announced at 9.30am by the Office for National Statistics.