Tube performance figures published today show long-term reliability on the  network has continued to improve in the first four-week period of 2012/13, building on the successes of last year.

London Underground  reached record levels of performance and improved reliability across the year 2011/12, following the introduction of a massive programme of reliability measures and investment.

The new performance statistics show that reliability, as measured by lost customer hours, remained on a par with the previous period, a 17 per cent improvement on period 1 last year. Like for like year-on-year passenger demand has also continued to grow.

During the four week period 96.9 per cent of trains ran to schedule and journey time was improved on both the previous period and period 1 of 2011/12. Across the network Lost Customers Hours have been reduced by 42 per cent since 2007/08.

Mike Brown, London Underground's Managing Director, said: "We're entering a crucial period for transport in the capital and my team and I are determined to maintain the improvements in reliability we've seen over the last year. Recent weeks have been challenging on the network and we know there is more to be done, but I'm confident we're geared up to keep moving in the right direction."

A comprehensive range of measures have led to the improvement in performance. They include new techniques being introduced to remotely monitor the conditions of track and signals to predict when intervention is required in order to prevent unexpected equipment failure.

An automated Track Monitoring Systems (ATMS) will automatically identify  track related defects so that corrective maintenance activities can be planned to minimise disruption to passengers.  A prototype ATMS system is now in operation and 12 trains will be fitted with the system, providing up to two service trains on the Bakerloo, Central, Victoria and Sub surface lines by late 2012.