Peak fares on Thames Trains will rise by 2.5 per cent from January - one per cent below this year's inflation figures.

Passengers will benefit from the Rail company being penalised for its failure to meet Passenger's Charter targets with late trains.

Ticket price watchdog Opraf is using its powers to force Thames to reduce planned increases in fares, mainly to and from the London area.

A new report published today accused the company, which operates turbo trains between London, Didcot and Oxford and on the Cotswold Line, of continued poor performance.

Figures from Government regulators showed the number of late trains rose from eight per cent to 15 per cent. On Chiltern Railways, which operates from Banbury and Bicester into Marylebone, late running more than doubled, from five to 13 per cent. Thames's public affairs manager Lou Tate claimed that other figures due out later this week would show an improvement in services.

The company previously blamed engineering and track work beyond its control for failing to meet its targets.

Thames's Network Stayaway tickets, currently only offered at Cotswold Line stations, will rise by an average 2.5 per cent while most other off-peak fares will rise by an average of 3.5 per cent.

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