South West Trains has been awarded 5 stars by the British Quality Foundation (BQF) in the Recognised for Excellence programme. South West Trains – part of the Stagecoach Group – received the 5 star accreditation following an extensive week-long assessment, which included face to face interviews and visits to stations and maintenance depots.

This is the first time that South West Trains has been accredited with 5 stars by the BQF, having previously received 4 star ratings on three separate occasions.

R4E is Europe’s leading recognition programme for organisational performance, and forms part of the EFQM Levels of Excellence. By achieving 5 stars, South West Trains has demonstrated that it is operating at a very high standard of performance.

Tim Shoveller, Managing Director of the South West Trains/Network Rail Alliance, said: ‘We’re very pleased to receive the five star award for the first time. This is a great achievement and reflects the commitment of our employees in striving to demonstrate continual improvement and deliver an improved service for our passengers.’

Joe Goasdoué, Chief Executive of the BQF, said: ‘South West Trains has been awarded Recognised for Excellence for the dedication to excellence that it has demonstrated across its entire operation, and everyone in the company should be proud of this achievement.’