CAROLINE Lucas has pledged to raise the scrapping of direct off-peak trains from Brighton to London Victoria in Parliament.

The Green MP for Brighton Pavilion has spoken out after the change to rail services which has led to calls for nationalisation from some irate travellers.

Furious commuters have called on Grant Shapps MP, Secretary of State for Transport, to bring the service into public ownership.

Under the change, passengers wanting to reach their destination directly will have to use the quicker, but more expensive, Gatwick Express service.

This means commuters may have to pay a third more for their direct rail service.

People wanting to pay off-peak prices will have to get off at Haywards Heath and wait for the Victoria train.

Travellers will no longer be able pre-book the Southern service in advance, which can be three times cheaper.

Ms Lucas said: “This feels like a massive rip-off for rail passengers. I’m raising this in Parliament.

“The transport minister must require Govia Thameslink to do the decent thing and offer off-peak fares on the Gatwick Express at the same level as the fares on Southern.”

On Trainline.com, an off-peak Southern service will cost £19.80.

When booked in advance, this will cost £8.50.

A Gatwick Express train on the route will cost £28.30.

A GTR spokesman said this was an error on Trainline.com and the ticket should instead be available for £25.30.

It is expected to start in May and will last for about two years.

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) said the connection would result in a nine-minute longer journey time.

It added the change was to make space for “essential building upgrade work at Gatwick Airport station” which, it claims, will relieve crowding, improve accessibility and reduce delays for commuters.

Emily Yates, co-founder of the Association of British Commuters, said: “GTR is unique in the UK for having different ‘brands’ – all facilitating what we believe to be fake ‘competition’ within a single, government backed monopoly.

“This change will hit lower income people and self-employed commuters the hardest – exactly the group of people who are being steadily priced out of rail travel by this government’s policies.”

Furious passengers have reacted online after hearing about the change.

One Twitter user remarked: “Southern Rail continues to be the worst. Their brand consistency is admirable.”

In a message to the Secretary of State for Transport, another user said: “Surely time for Southern Rail to go. How do they get away with it?”

A spokesman for GTR, which runs Southern Rail, said: “Off-peak passengers from Brighton to London will need to either use direct Gatwick Express or Thameslink services or change at stations such as East Croydon, Haywards Heath or Preston Park.

“Off-peak passengers buying a Travelcard to use the Tube won’t have to pay any more than they do today to travel direct from Brighton to Victoria in the future because these tickets are already valid on Gatwick Express.”