Season tickets in Chatham have gone up by 100% over the last 20 years.

A survey conducted in the Ssouth of England looked at stations in areas with marginal seats and Chatham came in the top 10 of those which have seen the biggest price hike.

The TSSA rail union commissioned the survey and found commuters are spending an over a third of average earnings to journey into London Monday to Friday.

The most expensive annual season ticket for 2015 is from Swindon to London at £8,200.

But Chatham has seen its regular ticket prices – not the High Speed service – rise £1,940 to £3,876 per year.

Chatham was ninth on the list for price hikes. Thurrock came in tenth but only had a 38% increase compared to Chatham’s 100%.

Medway Council’s head of transport at the council Phil Filmer (Con) said: “I’m very surprised by how much it has risen in that time. But I do believe the last few years the hikes price increase have been more reasonable than in previous years.

“We are commuter towns, and a vast amount of people use that service on a daily basis to get into work. Obviously we want to best price, for the best service.

“I would like to see whoever is voted into government in May do with the trains, what we at Medway Council have done with our parking charges, and that is freeze them for two years.

“We need to give people a chance to just catch up a bit with the costs.”

TSSA union leader Manuel Cortes said the increases in marginal seat since rail privatisation 20 years ago were “an absolute disgrace”.

He added: “Season tickets were meant to protected when the railways were sold off. It is an enormous burden which has been heaped on commuters shoulders. Those on average earnings are paying a third of their salaries just to get to work, the equivalent of funding a £200,000 mortgage every year.”

For more on rail plans over Easter and ongoing works at London Bridge pick up Friday's Medway Messenger.