More Scottish trains are running on time, according to new figures.

An extra 36,000 trains arrived on time since April 1, compared with the same period last year.

Across Scotland, 89.1 per cent of ScotRail trains met the rail industry standard public performance measure (PPM) in the period September 15 to October 12 – a 7.2 percentage point increase from the same period in 2018.

PPM is the UK-wide standard on which ScotRail is held to account by Transport Scotland, where trains must arrive at their destination within four minutes and 59 seconds of their timetabled arrival time, having called at all scheduled stations.

A spokesperson for ScotRail said better preparation for the effects of autumn weather has contributed to the boost in performance.

Network Rail dispatched “leaf buster” trains to treat 20,000 more miles of track than in 2018. They also used ground-breaking microwave and cryogenic technologies for the very first time in Scotland to keep railheads clean.

And rapid response crews have been based at key points across the network to react quicker to incidents.

They said tracks were also treated earlier this year than in the past.

Alex Hynes, ScotRail boss, said: “It is great to see the hard work and dedication of our people paying off.

“Customers have benefited from an extra 36,000 trains arriving on time since the start of the year compared to the same period last year, and that’s no fluke.

“We’ve been more prepared than ever before this autumn, and everyone across Scotland’s Railway is continuing to work hard to deliver the consistent level of performance our customers expect and deserve.”