OXFORDSHIRE commuters have urged the Government and train companies to minimise fare increases next year.

Fears have been raised that passengers will face a rise of at least 5.8 per cent in the price of many tickets following the yesterday’s announcement of inflation figures.

However, the rise could be even higher if, as some fear, the Government scraps a formula pegging rises to inflation.

Under the system, train companies are allowed to raise regulated fares by one per cent more than July’s retail price index (RPI) figure for inflation.

The RPI figure last month was 4.8 per cent, which would equate to a 5.8 per cent fare rise from next January.

John Ellis, the chairman of the Cotswold Line Promotion Group, which represents passengers on the route between Oxford and Worcester, said: “We would hope that fare increases are kept to the minimum and we urge that particularly because in the next year there’s going to be disruption to services with the redoubling work on the line.

“What we want to do is to encourage a base of customers to ensure the maximum use of services when the project is completed.”

Network Rail is set to reinstate double track on 20 miles of the line from December, including the four-mile section between Charlbury and Ascott-under-Wychwood.

Ashwin Kumar, rail director of watchdog Passenger Focus, added: “Just because you can increase fares, doesn’t mean you should. This is a time for restraint.

“Our research has shown that passengers in Britain already pay some of the highest commuter fares in Europe.”

This January, regulated rail fares, which include season tickets, fell by 0.4 per cent, due to negative inflation last year.

However, unregulated fares on services run by First Great Western, which links Oxford and Didcot to London, rose by an average of 2.47 per cent, with a 15 per cent increase on some of its Supersaver fares, although these fares had bee cut by 50 per cent last year.

FGW spokesman Dan Panes said the firm would not set new fares until the Government decided the future of the fares formula.

He said: “This is a political decision and the Government has to make that decision. We appreciate the current economic climate puts pressure on our customers, because we’re seeing it ourselves.”

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said: “I’m not yet in a position to determine next year’s fare increase.

“It would be irresponsible, at a time when investment in the railway is under pressure, to rule anything out until the spending review is concluded in the autumn.”