V/LINE says Ballarat had the best-performing short-distance regional train line last month.
However, the figures have been met with scepticism from commuters and the transport users association, who say problems of overcrowding persist.
According to newly released V/Line figures, the line between Melbourne and Ballarat was the only line to achieve targets for punctuality and reliability.
In terms of scheduled services, 99 per cent of trains actually ran, of which 92.8 per cent were on time.
Trains that arrive within six minutes are deemed to be on time.
Of the 874 trains that ran, 47 were late.
It was the first time V/Line’s own target measurements had been met this year and the first time since November, 2011.
V/Line said the targets were made more achievable by cooler weather.
As a short-distance line, Ballarat is compared to Geelong, Bendigo, Seymour and Gippsland.
“It is pleasing for trains to be running at the level they should be, however with the way performance is calculated it can be difficult for us to do it consistently,” V/Line spokesperson James Kelly said.
Mr Kelly said there would continue to be a wide range of changes in performance data until the Regional Rail Link was completed.
Regular commuters welcomed the figures but say there was still a problem with overcrowding, particularly on peak services.
Public Transport Users Association regional spokesperson Paul Wescott said he was pleased to see Ballarat performing so well, but stressed a need for it to continue.
“One month doesn’t make a long-term trend, so let’s hope that we can see these numbers reproduced permanently,” he said.