The train operator Thameslink this week said it expected to pay out £1million to compensate passengers for severe delays to its services in recent months.

The company, which runs trains from Elstree and Borehamwood Station, has blamed weather conditions and engineering works for the disruption.

Thameslink, in line with rail regulations, has agreed to award compensation to passengers for five days on which its service was seriously affected.

But a passengers' group this week criticised the firm, claiming that, even when its service was running as normal, there were still problems with delays.

Thameslink's director and general manager, Mark Causebrook, said: "We make no excuses for the poor performance, but the facts are we cannot operate an efficient service when the routes are constantly disrupted."

He referred to storms on August 7 which flooded tunnels in north London, and another on October 27 which brought trees down on overhead line equipment.

Weekend engineering work carried out by Network Rail overran into two Monday mornings, November 11 and 18, which stopped peak time services.

Mr Causebrook said: "We trust we are through the worst, but nevertheless we feel we owe it to the customers to compensate them and show we are very sorry for the problems caused."

However, the London Transport Users Committee (LTUC) pointed out that Thameslink was one of the most unreliable train services in the region.

Deputy director John Cartledge said the firm was regularly in the bottom three in the league table for reliability for the ten train companies in London and the South-East.

Mr Cartledge, who is also a member of Elstree and Borehamwood Transport and Road Safety Forum, said: "We are not happy about the performance in this particular part of the network."

While the LTUC admitted Thameslink had suffered some unavoidable problems, it said it was in discussions with the company about its general performance.

Compensation is available to monthly and season ticket holders, and to daily and weekly ticket holders whose train journeys were delayed by more than one hour.