A train operator has introduced a therapy dog for passengers and staff, despite less than half of its journeys arriving on time.

At the beginning of this year, TransPennine Express (TPE) was ranked the second-least punctual service, with only 47.5 per cent of its trains arriving on schedule.

Over the same time period, the operator, which runs services in northern England and Scotland, also saw the second-highest percentage of services cancelled, with more than 40 per cent due to operator faults.

However, TransPennine Express (TPE) has now introduced six-year-old German Shepherd, Nya, to improve the wellbeing of its customers.

Owned and trained by a member of staff, Nya is qualified as a therapy dog having received certification from Pets as Therapy.

Stephen O'Callaghan, the leader of TPE's safeguarding and crime prevention team, is Nya's owner, and spent three months trying to register her with the charity.

He said: "I've always recognised the strong connection that dogs can have on improving people's wellbeing and the natural calming abilities that they bring to people as well as the social interaction that they provide."

Owned and trained by a member of staff, Nya is qualified as a therapy dog having received certification from Pets as Therapy

TPE said the dog provided a "tail-wagging welcome" to passengers, and offered "a way for them to destress while travelling".

It added: "She's also lending a paw to staff wellbeing, supporting mental health in the workplace."

Mr O'Callaghan said: "Nya is now officially qualified to perform visits and she has received such positive responses, with dozens of travellers and colleagues stopping to say hello.

"I'm so proud that TPE is the first ever train operator to have its own therapy dog and I'd love to see this rolled out across the rest of the railway."

TPE said the dog provided a 'tail-wagging welcome' to passengers, and offered 'a way for them to destress while travelling'

He said: "We all know it can be stressful at times, so dogs on the rail network are only a good thing in my opinion."

Mr O'Callaghan takes Nya to meet staff and members of the public across the network, and says she "spreads happiness on the rail network".

He added: "She really does put a smile on people's face."

Pets as Therapy is a national charity which aims to ensure everyone in the UK "has access to the companionship of a friendly pet".

The train operator has become the first in the country to have a therapy dog

Last week, Princess Kate's brother James Middleton laid out his idea to improve workplace productivity by allowing employees to bring their dogs to the office.

He said: "Dogs in the workplace should be a generic 'yes' unless there is a very good reason to say 'no'."

Mr Middleton has also worked with Pets as Therapy and has "seen how beneficial dogs can be first-hand".

"My ambition is to have dogs on prescription," he told Country Living last year. "I'd love doctors to be able to recommend that people suffering from low mood spend time with a therapy dog."