One of the railway companies which serves Oxfordshire has won a prestigious award.

Chiltern Railways and Railtrack have shared the best Rail route prize in the annual National Rail Awards, sponsored by Rail magazine and Angel Trains, which leases rolling stock to passenger train operators.

The award recognises the companies' investment and consistently high levels of performance and service on Chiltern's route from London Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill, which serves Haddenham & Thame Parkway, Bicester North, King's Sutton and Banbury stations.

The company also runs commuter services between London and Aylesbury.

The judges commended Chiltern as an "excellent example of co-operation founded on the enthusiasm and vision of the rail operator and supported by business partners".

Adrian Shooter, Chiltern's managing director, said: "This award is a testament to the dedication of our staff, who work hard every day to ensure passengers experience the very best levels of service and reliability."

Chiltern came top for punctuality in the latest passenger train performance survey by the Strategic Rail Authority.