Britain's state-owned railway infrastructure operator is responsible for most of the improvements ordered to get Scotland's railways back on track.

Network Rail has agreed to carry out hundreds of action plans to cut the number of delays and cancellations affecting trains north of the border.

The UK body - which is not devolved - has timetabled a series of improvements, including efforts to fence railways to cut down on trespassing and vandalism and keep livestock off the lines.

Network Rail had also previously announced that it would renew the Yoker signal system near Glasgow, beefing up the main Helensburgh to Edinburgh electric route from west to east.

Experts have stressed that the state-owned infrastructure provider is responsible for more than half of the delays affecting the network - including weather related issues such as tree falls.

Former UK rail minister Tom Harris, of Labour, has called for control over the company to be devolved.

Underfire Transport Minister Humza Yousaf published full details of the improvement plan on Wednesday, including pledges by ScotRail train operator, Abellio, to upgrade trains.

He did so as he announced completion of £19m investment upgrading 40 electric trains - the modern class 334s - on the Helensburgh-Edinburgh line.

Mr Yousaf said: “This upgrade, part of a total investment of £475m across all of ScotRail’s fleet, is just one of actions we are taking to provide customers across Scotland with access to more modern, accessible and reliable trains.

“By making these coupler upgrades we are taking steps to ensure performance is lifted on the line from Helensburgh to Edinburgh and the number of seats is increased.

“And we have completed this work in record time, with these improvements made to all of these trains in just six weeks."

Railway insiders had blamed the work on the trains for some of the problems on the system, which is still recovering from the extra strain put on it over the summer when Queen Street upper level services were closed.

The class 334s are which are getting new sockets for passengers and new heated couplers which should improve punctuality.

Scottish Labour Transport spokesman Neil Bibby said the improvement plan published by Mr Yousaf was "two months late".

He said: "in that time the full scale of the SNP's mismanagement of the railways has been exposed. People right now are fed up with expensive, overcrowded and unreliable trains.

“Scottish Labour will be scrutinising every part of this plan line by line to ensure that the promises made to passengers are kept.

"The SNP Transport Minister says he has confidence in the improvement plan yet performance has dipped since it was agreed. With ScotRail being given until March to meet its targets, the clock is ticking for Humza Yousaf.

"This January, rail fares across Scotland are due to rise once again and the service passengers have been receiving hasn’t been good enough. After weeks of misery on Scotland’s railways, passengers deserve a break. That’s why we’re calling for a fare freeze in 2017. The SNP should back Labour's plan."

Network Rail in Scotland is funded by the Scottish Government's Transport Scotland quango but answerable to Westminster. Responding to calls for its devolution, a spokesman said: "We work closely with the Scottish and UK governments to continually enhance and improve our railways. Any discussions over further devolution of Network Rail in Scotland would be a matter for those governments".