PASSENGERS have rated Chiltern Railways the top train operator in London and the South East for the third time running.

The National Passenger Study, carried out by the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority in September, is a major indicator of the performance of rail operating companies.

Chiltern Railways general manager Steve Murphy welcomed the endorsement.

He said: "This is testimony to the hard work and dedication to all our staff and to the emphasis that we always place, as a team, on providing the very best possible service to our passengers."

The results achieved by the rail firm exceeded those of the ten other operators in the region, with Chiltern coming top in eleven of the twelve categories.

Nationally, Chiltern came second in the league table of the whole country, with the small "Island Line" coming top. 89 per cent of passengers were very or fairly satisfied with their overall service.

Chiltern Railways also came top in three categories including upkeep and repair of trains and station ticket buying facilities.

Mr Murphy is pleased with the results, which come after nationwide train delays due to the checking of the track and flooding.

He said: "Clearly the past few months have been very difficult for the railways, their staff and passengers and Chiltern Railways has been no exception. However, we have been working very hard to minimise the impact to passengers."

Mr Murphy added that a full advertised service has continued to operate and hopes to improve the punctuality of services in the New Year.