GREATER Anglia has experienced its best ever month for train punctuality.
More than 93 per cent of all trains were on time in March, according to bosses of the service, which was taken over by Dutch owner Abellio in February 2012.
The latest figures bring the operator's overall average to a new high of 92.3 per cent – the best figure recorded for the East Anglia franchise area since it was introduced in 2004.
The news comes after Abellio was also named Train Operator of the Year at the annual Rail Business Awards for 2012 for punctuality, customer service and station improvements in March – despite being named the second worst operator in the country in a poll of 7,500 passengers in February.
Ruud Haket, managing director of Greater Anglia, said: "Our relentless focus on delivering better train service punctuality is positively reflected in these latest performance statistics.
"Once more, the alliance with Network Rail and the increased reliability of our fleet of trains has helped to achieve an excellent four-week period of performance and the best-ever annual average punctuality across the Greater Anglia network.
"However, both we and our customers are looking for even higher standards and even greater consistency.
"We will therefore continue to work closely with our colleagues at Network Rail, focusing on further improvements for our customers and the region we serve."
Greater Anglia claims to have consistently delivered improvements in train punctuality since taking over the franchise in February last year.
It says the improvements reflect the "alliance" the train operator has established with Network Rail to drive up reliability levels and deliver a better service for customers.
The partnership has developed new contingency plans which it says are helping to ensure the service can recover more quickly following disruptions.
This joint strategy has resulted in most weekends this year being free from disruptive engineering work, so passengers can enjoy weekend days out to and from London without the need to travel part of the way on a replacement bus, something many complained about last year.
The operator says weekends are now clear of disruptive engineering work on the line for the rest of the year, apart from one Sunday in early October.
Rail users will be travelling on Greater Anglia trains for at least another two years, after its franchise was extended at the end of March.
The short-term franchise was meant to expire in July 2014.
