ScotRail has become the best performing large train operator in the UK, according to new figures.

The train operator's moving annual average (MAA) - measuring reliability and punctuality - hit 90.9% for the year to August 19.

The result is ahead of the improvement plan target of 90.5% and higher than the remaining four large train operators, Northern, Southeastern, South West Trains and Govia Thameslink Railway.

ScotRail ranks seventh out of 23 train operating firms in the UK in the Network Rail figures, which averaged 88.3% MAA nationwide.

An improvement plan was created in 2016 amid a turbulent period for the Abellio ScotRail Alliance when it faced calls to be stripped of its £7bn ten-year franchise to run Scotland's railways after performance slipped below contracted standards.

Tuesday was the best single day performance since the franchise was taken over in 2015, with public performance measure (PPM) of 97.4%.

Further figures show a slight drop in performance in the four weeks to August 19.

For this period, ScotRail's PPM was 92.5%, a slight drop from 93.7% in the previous four-week period.

The latest PPM figures are the best performance during this period for five years and ahead of the 88.9% for the same period last year.

PPM is an industry standard measure which combines the rate of trains arriving at their final destination within five minutes of the timetable and the percentage of advertised services which operate.

MAA is a rolling yearly update of this figure.

ScotRail Alliance managing director Alex Hynes said: "The fact that we are the best performing large operator in the UK is down to the hard work of our people in the ScotRail Alliance, a partnership between Abellio ScotRail and Network Rail.

"Our customers have noticed the effort we are making to help them travel about Scotland hassle-free.

"Just last month the independent national rail passenger survey by Transport Focus revealed that nine out of ten passengers are satisfied with ScotRail, equalling our best-ever score.

"We aren't complacent. We're working hard to build the best railway Scotland's ever had."