CHILTERN Railways has been named train operator of the year at the Rail Business Awards.

The judges said the operator was a 'worthy winner' citing the launching of the new route from Oxford to London Marylebone.

They were also 'impressive' on punctuality, reliability and overall customer service.

Managing director Dave Penney said: "I am tremendously proud that Chiltern Railways has been recognised at the Rail Business Awards.

"It’s a huge achievement, one that would not be possible without the hundreds of people in the company that are committed to making journeys better and work tirelessly to help us put the customers at the heart of everything we do."

The company, together with partners WIFI SPARK and Icomera, was also awarded highly commended in the Customer Service Excellence category for its 'continuously connected Wi-Fi project', which in 2017 saw Wi-Fi rolled out across all its services.