Train operators accused of re-designating off-peak services to peak to increase fares.

TRAIN operators have been accused of "mugging" passengers by re-designating off-peak services to peak, to increase fares.

Union boss Bob Crow, General Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), claimed Britain's private rail operators were "mugging passengers to pump up their profits".

His comments yesterday came as it emerged train companies were rescheduling some off-peak services to peak and sometimes doubling or tripling prices.

But train operators defended the move, saying only a very small number of services and passengers were affected.

Crow said: "Here's the latest evidence that the train operators are using rail privatisation as a licence to print money while the politicians sit back and let them get on with it."

A survey by the BBC said that since January more than 180 trains a week have been rescheduled as "peak-time". The survey said that as a result some fares, such as the 9.50am Telford to London, have tripled from 45 to 158 for a return ticket.

Another example is the 9.15am from London Euston to Manchester, returning at 8.55am the next day, which used to cost 66. Now that Virgin has extended its peak hours, the same ticket costs 262.

Virgin Trains, which operates the West Coast main line, said only around 15 out of its 350 daily trains services had been affected by the peak price changes.

A spokesman for Virgin said: "There is not enough capacity on the railways so we have to have different pricings on busy trains.

"We use cheaper prices on less busy trains to encourage people to use less busy trains otherwise peak trains would be packed."