Most train services will be axed on two days this week amid further rail strikes. 

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) union who are employed by Network Rail will down tools on both Thursday and Saturday over an ongoing pay dispute. 

With the workers operating signal boxes taking part in the action, the strikes are to have a severe knock on effect on Scotland's services - despite the dispute not involving ScotRail. 

Once again the majority of the limited services will run in the central belt, leaving the north of Scotland with no rail links on the two days. 

Previous strike action by the union allowed just 189 services to go ahead, but that figure will increase to 378 during this round as trains will at least reach Fife and the east coast.

READ MORE: RMT threatens strike action after rejecting ScotRail offer

The Herald: Glasgow Central station was almost empty during an RMT strike in June.Glasgow Central station was almost empty during an RMT strike in June.

There will be two trains per hour between Edinburgh and Glasgow Queen Street, Edinburgh and Helensburgh Central, Glasgow Central and Hamilton, Glasgow Central and Lanark, Edinburgh and Inverkeithing, Edinburgh and Tweedbank and Milngavie and Springburn.

There will be one train per hour on the impacted days between Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, Edinburgh and North Berwick, Glasgow Queen Street and Larbert, and Glasgow Queen Street and Falkirk Grahamston.

The services will run between 7.30am and the final train will leave “well before” 6.30pm, the operator said.

Disruption is expected to continue on the days after the strikes as it could take into the afternoon to turn on the signal boxes past the central belt. 

Those in the central belt are expected to be turned on around 7.15am. 

Scotrail has also published a list of services which have been cancelled or amended on the Wednesday, Friday and Sunday

“It is very unfortunate to see such widespread disruption across the whole of the Great Britain rail network and we know this will be frustrating for ScotRail customers,” said David Simpson, the operator’s service delivery director.

“Regrettably, this strike action by RMT members of Network Rail means that we will not be able to operate the vast majority of our services during the period of strike action.

“Customers should expect significant disruption to services on strike days, as well as the following day.

“We are able to operate on more routes than on the previous day of strike action, however, we are still only able to run a very limited number of services on these routes, so we’re advising customers to seek alternative means of transport and to only travel if they really need to.”