Commuters in south Essex were cheered today when it was revealed fares are to be cut - because of strike action which has disrupted services over the last year.
Rail firm c2c has been ordered to lower peak-time fares because it has failed to meet timetables - while other commuter lines are raising fares, including Great Eastern.
The news comes after another night of chaos on the Fenchurch Street line, when travellers suffered long delays because of a suspected gas leak at Limehouse station in East London.
City workers had to divert onto the District Line to Barking where services resumed, causing disruption to thousands of people.
Seven out of ten London commuter companies are to increase fares by 2.5 per cent because they have improved services, while c2c has been told by the Strategic Rail Authority to give customers a 0.9 per cent reduction in the cost of peak fares.
The Authority calculates the rate at which fares are set according to performance.
A c2c spokesman said: "The SRA looked at our performance between August 2000 and July 2001 and the same period from 2001 to 2002 and found that we had performed less well.
"However, the main reason it wasn't as good in the last 12 months was because of industrial action, but as long as we don't have any other major problems we will be all right with improved services for our customers in 2003."
The reduced fare is for standard priced peak time fares and season tickets.
Published Wednesday October 16, 2002
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