The proliferation of different types of train fare is leading to confusion amongst passengers and has caused a situation where poor value is offered, according to consumer watchdog Passenger Focus (formerly the Rail Passengers Council).

Twenty years ago there were only five different types of fare but now there are over 70, a number that some travellers found “overwhelming” and “unnecessarily complex and totally confusing”.

“The trains are a joke these days,” said long-term commuter George Snow. “We have a situation now, for example, where two single fares cost less than a return ticket on some lines and that sort of thing does people’s heads in.

Passenger also did not trust staff to give them the lowest-priced and appropriate fare for the journey.