The Rail Maritime and Transport Union said the safety of passengers was being undermined because of cutbacks in staff by "profit-hungry" private firms.

The union claimed that just 10p in every pound from the £300 million made every year by private train operators would fund the return of 1,000 staff to stations it claimed were unstaffed or understaffed.

The union launched a Safer Journey Campaign at its annual conference in Nottingham and called for a review of station staffing as well as a ban on any further cuts.

Delegates also demanded an end to staff working alone on stations as a safety measure.

General secretary Bob Crow said: "It is astonishing, but the ministers responsible for setting rail franchises and handing over £2 billion in subsidies have no idea how many stations have been left unstaffed or understaffed since the industry was privatised.

"What we do know is that safety fears are one of the key factors putting people off using trains, particularly women travelling alone at night, and that far too many of our members are assaulted when they are left to work alone.

"As things stand, the Government is handing over public money to private firms and telling them it is OK to put their profits before the safety of our members and the public.

"The people who work and travel on the railways want to see more staff on stations, not fewer, and a ban on any further de-staffing is now urgent as a first step towards ensuring that all stations are adequately staffed."