Rail union RMT has accused ScotRail of 'misleading' the public over the true scale of proposed cuts to ticket office hours.

The union said despite the rail firm's claims that only 54 stations would be affected, RMT analysis has revealed that 101 stations may face 'significant reductions' in ticket office hours.

While ScotRail asserts that staffing levels will be maintained, the RMT has warned the cuts 'leave no guarantee for future staffing, as ticket offices are the only regulated staffing requirement at stations'.

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The union said: "Closing these offices opens the door for staffing reductions by stealth, with no obligation for ScotRail to consult the public."

Mick Lynch, RMT General Secretary, added: “ScotRail and the Scottish Government are trying to pull the wool over the public’s eyes by underplaying the extent of these cuts.

"Our analysis lays bare the real picture: over 100 stations stand to lose staffed hours, putting passengers, staff, and service quality at risk.

"We are calling on the Scottish Government to stop these plans before they do damage to Scotland’s rail service.”

The RMT say at some stations, reductions are 'drastic' that they amount to 'closures in all but name'.

For example, the union claims Dalmarnock faces a 90% reduction, losing 96 hours weekly.

Meanwhile, Wemyss Bay would allegedly see a 61% cut, reducing service by 70 hours per week and Ardrossan South Beach could lose 60% of its hours, a cut of 69 hours each week.

A spokesperson for the RMT added: "In total, these cuts would reduce staffed hours by nearly 2,800 across the network every week, creating a sharp decline in available ticket office services.

"ScotRail’s proposals include minor increases in hours at 12 stations, largely by opening on Sundays, but RMT insists that any increase must not come at the cost of network-wide cuts, especially when nearly two-thirds of ScotRail’s stations are already unstaffed.

Mr Lynch added: "RMT is calling on the Scottish Government to intervene, and abandon these reckless cuts, so they can ensure that ScotRail provides a safe, staffed, and accessible service that Scotland’s rail passengers and communities deserve."

Richard Leonard, Labour MSP and long-time campaigner for railway workers said: “ScotRail’s plans to cut ticket office hours by a quarter across Scotland will not just deter some people from using the railway, it will deny them access altogether.

“This is a public service and ScotRail is in public ownership.

"The Scottish government still has the opportunity to put the public first and reverse these cuts.”

A spokesperson for ScotRail said: "There will be 12 ticket offices where opening hours will increase and 54 where the opening hours will reduce and staff will be moved elsewhere on the network for the remainder of their shift.

"Of the remaining 77 staffed stations, there will be no change to the hours of the staff at the station – the hours of the ticket office will change but the staff hours at the station won’t. That means if there is a change in the opening hours at the ticket office (and in some cases that can be as little as a five minute change), the station will still be staffed and the member of staff will still be able to sell tickets on the platform, support customers using the ticket vending machine, or carry out other duties (for example, emptying the bins, clearing the platform of leaves during the autumn, gritting the station during the winter) at that same station.

"All stations remain open and trains will continue to stop there as per the timetable regardless of ticket office hours. And we aren’t closing any ticket offices, just amending the opening hours.

"54 stations will see staff hours reduce, but those same staff will move to another station or part of the network, so no staff hours will be lost overall. As noted above, in the 77 remaining stations there will be no change to the hours staff will be based at that location."