Improvements to ScotRail services saw the value of financial penalties incurred by the train operator more than halved last year.
ScotRail paid out £133,126 in fines in 2012-13, down 64% on the £372,849 paid the previous year.
Performance is assessed across 36 areas, from toilet cleanliness to ticket machines, and the company receives bonuses and pays penalties depending on its score.
This is the fourth year in a row that penalties paid by ScotRail have fallen.
The operator achieved higher scores in categories such as help points and the removal of litter at stations. On-train scores were also higher for toilets, announcements, information screens and seat reservations.
ScotRail, whose performance is measured by Transport Scotland’s Squire (Service Quality Incentive Regime), said the improvement underpins the most recent National Passenger Survey which revealed that overall passenger satisfaction was up 1% to equal its highest-ever level of 90%.
Managing director Steve Montgomery said: “Our strategy is to invest in Scotland’s railway every year, delivering record punctuality and transforming the whole experience of rail travel. This is striking a chord with people turning to trains in record numbers.
“We’re connecting communities, growing the economy and reducing our carbon footprint while rolling out wi-fi and smart cards and upgrading hundreds of stations.”
Transport Minister Keith Brown said: “The Scottish Government wants to drive up standards further in the overall Scottish rail passenger experience which is why we use Squire, widely regarded as one of the toughest regimes of its kind in the UK, to identify where we can make more improvements across areas we know matter to passengers.
“Evidence from Squire for the last 12 months shows that standards of service and facilities are rising. Penalties are now at their lowest-ever level. ScotRail has delivered significant improvements across the board with penalties down 85% over the four years.
“This trend echoes the spring 2013 National Passenger Survey which found that nine out of 10 ScotRail passengers were satisfied with their rail services.”
Meanwhile train services in the north-east of Scotland have been disrupted this week by several thefts of cable from railway lines.
Mr Brown said he has asked Network Rail to draw up a plan to deal quickly with the “spate of criminal activity” which has hit passengers hard.