RAIL passengers will pay 0.4 per cent less for season tickets next year as a result of today's inflation figures.

Prices for some off peak tickets and some shorter journeys from Oxford would also be reduced from January 1.

A standard season ticket from Oxford to London will fall from £3,996 to £3,980.

The news comes days after train operator First Great Western announced fares for long distance services from Oxford could rise by up to 20 per cent.

Passenger groups welcomed the fall, which comes because Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation is in minus territory.

Zahra Akkerhuys, of commuter group OxRail Action, said: “It is a huge relief that prices won’t be going up – a lot of commuters had been bracing themselves for a hike.

“Prices are incredibly high anyway, so any drop will always be welcome.”

Director of watchdog Passenger Focus, Ashwin Kumar, said, “Most season tickets will have to drop in January and this will be a welcome relief to passengers who are usually forced to fork out more for their tickets every New Year.”

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said: “For the first time in a generation, passengers will see their fares fall.”