Independent rail watchdog Passenger Focus has highlighted improvements in customer satisfaction with passengers using First Great Western services.

Results of the National Passenger Survey show that 80 per cent of the firm's customers are happy with its service – an increase of nine percentage points on the results for the same time last year.

Customers particularly praised improvements to the reliability and punctuality of services, the condition of its trains, and the welcome they got at its stations.

Last month, more than 94 per cent of First Great Western services arrived on time, with 91.2 per cent of trains arriving on time over the past 12 months.

Managing director Mark Hopwood said: "Everyone in our business has been putting a huge amount of effort into get things right for our customers, and it's good that customers have recognised how far we've come.

"In the past year we have moved from the bottom of the industry performance table to seventh out of the 19 UK train operators.

"Although we've dramatically reduced the number of trains we cancel, we know we have more to do to really deliver for our customers."