Festive commuters to the north-east have been dealt a blow after the cancellation of the last service to Aberdeen.
Scotrail announced on its website that the 7.34pm service between Aberdeen and Edinburgh is due to terminate at Dundee due to a shortage of train crew.
Passengers will arrive at Dundee at 8.44pm, meaning they will have to wait more than an hour for the next and final train to the Granite City.
Trains between Aberdeen and Inverurie have also been cancelled, with a pair of services at 9.58am and 2.57pm being scrapped because there is no one to man them.
The rail operator has been under fire in recent months for a series of disruptions, due to staff training.
The 7.30am and 11.02am services have also been cancelled for the same reason.
As well as the cancellations, nine different trains from Edinburgh to Aberdeen have been reduced from four coaches to three because of the staff shortages.
North-east MSP Liam Kerr said: “The start of 2019 is just going to bring more misery for rail passengers in the north-east.
“The public rightly expect better than this from Scotrail.
“Many people will be travelling to visit friends and family and attend festive events across the region.
“SNP ministers must ensure that Scotrail gets its act together for 2019 – and fast.”
ScotRail managing director Alex Hynes said: “We’re really sorry to customers for the disruption to services over the last few days and recent weeks.
“We know the impact this has on your day and are working flat out to get things back to normal.
“Anyone delayed by 30 minutes or more as a result of a cancellation is entitled to compensation through our delay repay guarantee.
“Just keep hold of your ticket and claim on our website or mobile app.”
