CHILTERN Railways has recorded the highest ever annual punctuality rate for any train company.

A public performance measure has seen it become the first rail operator ever to manage a punctuality rate of more than 95 per cent over a 12 month period.

Bosses say they have achieved that rate by having stricter time-keeping parameters for than many of its rivals.

For a Chiltern train to be considered on time, it must arrive within five minutes of the advertised arrival time - including their long distance trains services such as London to Birmingham, Kidderminster and Stratford-Upon-Avon.

Adrian Shooter, chairman, said: "We are all very proud of this landmark achievement. It demonstrates that it is possible to run a service which is both punctual and value for money.

"More and more people are using Chiltern Railways for business, commuting and leisure and our passenger satisfaction rate is currently at 90 per cent. "We listen to our passengers and work hard to give them the high quality service they demand."

He added: "This doesn't mean that we will be getting complacent, far from it.

"We still have one train in 20 arriving behind schedule and so we will continue to work to improve this. Our goal now is not to just maintain our 95 per cent punctuality rate - our goal is to get even better."

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