High street giants have been accused of ripping off train ­travellers with runaway prices at their booming station shops.

Chains including WH Smith, M&S and Greggs charge up to three times as much for chocolate, sweets and drinks as in other branches of the same firms.

As families hit the railways for half-term days out, we compared prices at mainline station shops and high streets.

A family-sized Cadbury Dairy Milk bar and a bag of Maynards Wine Gums both cost £1 in a high street branch of WH Smith – yet in a station they are £1.99 and £2.99 respectively. Other mark-ups can be found at M&S Simply Food, where a 70p bottle of mineral water and a £2.60 tub of M&S Rocky Road Mini Bites cost £1 and £2.80.

At Pret a Manger’s Eurostar St Pancras branch, some sandwiches cost 19p more while at Greggs a 90p sausage roll becomes £1.15.

Business has never been better for station shops, cafes and bars. Network Rail, which runs the UK’s 21 mainline stations, made £124million last year from retail space. Rail shop operators say their overheads are higher because premises are more expensive to rent.

But Marc Gander of the Consumer Action Group said: “It’s not only a holiday rip-off, it’s a rip-off all year.”

Consumer complaint website Resolver called it “outrageous”.

M&S said: “Our prices are a little higher in travel locations, reflecting the fact that we work with franchise partners and running costs are higher.”

Network Rail said: “We encourage retailers to price as keenly as possible.”

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