Customer complaints have fallen over the last year

A total of 84.5% of trains ran on time between April and June, compared with 84.3% in the same period a year ago.

The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) says 13 out of 24 train operating companies showed an improvement in performance, while seven companies worsened.

Nicola Shaw, SRA managing director of operations, admits that successes are "not yet universal or consistent".

In terms of performance, four train companies remained virtually unchanged compared to last year.

Improvements

Ms Shaw said: "The industry is trying. There are signs that where the effort has been greatest it is succeeding, but it is not yet universal or consistent.

"That level of effort is required all the way through everything we do, throughout the industry, so that passengers experience the results of those efforts.

"Success will come when they experience it day in and day out."

The most improved companies were Midland Mainline (up 16.7%), Virgin CrossCountry (up 10.1%), First Great Western (up 6.9%), c2c (up 6.7%) and First Great Western Link (up 5.3%).

The seven operators where punctuality worsened included Gatwick Express (down 5.7%), Silverlink (down 5.1%) and Southern (down 2.8%).

Great North Eastern Railway, Island Line, Merseyrail and South West Trains remained virtually unchanged.

There was an 8.1% increase in the amount of freight moved by rail over the same period.

The number of complaints from passengers fell by 10%.

This drop was more marked in London and the South East, where complaints fell by 40%.

Fewer complaints

But the fall in complaints was not matched by an improved service.

Many of the train companies operating commuter services into London from the South East during morning and evening rush-hours recorded fewer trains running on time.

The performance of South Eastern Trains improved in peak hours from 81% to 82.8%.

The service is being run "in-house" after the franchise for services between London and Kent was taken away from Connex over a year ago,

Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail Maritime and Transport union, welcomed this improvement.

He said: "Back in public hands, South Eastern Trains continues to improve, with a performance improvement well ahead of the average for commuter train operators in London.

"While South Eastern Trains continues to improve it would be madness to press ahead with plans to re-privatise it."