Rail services would have been reduced by up to third on Sundays from July 5 onward, due to ongoing disputes with Aslef, the train drivers’ union.

Talks were held between ScotRail and Aslef in a bid to resolve the industrial dispute.

Currently, services between Dumbarton and Helensburgh Central run every 30 minutes on Sundays and ScotRail insists it will provide more carriages on the trains that will run in a bid to reduce the number of people affected by offering the same capacity.

Dumbarton and the Vale MSP Jackie Baillie said drivers having to volunteer for Sunday shifts was 'ridiculous’ as it emerged Dutch firm Abellio, which runs the franchise, did not bid for the service on the basis of a seven-day working week.

Ms Baillie, of Scottish Labour, called for Keith Brown, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment, and Cities, to answer why the bid wasn’t for a seven day week, and what, if any, agreements in the deal have been breached.

Ms Baillie said: “This is a complete and utter shambles, it seems beyond belief that in 21st century Scotland a seven-day working week was not factored into a multi-year, multi-million rail service that the people of Dumbarton and the Vale of Leven are paying for.

“No one wants to see industrial action but to end up in the situation where drivers have to volunteer for shifts to get them covered is ridiculous.

“Last year the SNP government in Edinburgh hailed this deal, worth hundreds of millions of taxpayer cash, as world leading and cost effective – so why is it running into such problems so soon?

“The SNP needs to explain why a seven day working week wasn’t factored into the bidding process, and clarify what, if any, agreements in the franchise have been breached.

“If there have been breaches to the agreement months into the deal, then the SNP Government should be looking for compensation to the public purse – taxpayers in West Dunbartonshire, and Helensburgh and Lomond shouldn’t have to pay for cancelled services.

“Scottish Labour back a People’s ScotRail which would allow for a public sector non-profit bid to run the railways, an operator that would be more accountable to the Scottish public.

“After the problems since Abellio took over, it is an idea whose time has come.” In response, a Transport Scotland spokesman said: “Current franchising rules prevent public sector organisations from bidding to operate the railways.

“Prior to the ScotRail franchise competition the Scottish Government asked to change the legislation to allow public sector bids; this was refused by the UK government, forcing us to go ahead with the franchise tendering process.

“It is made clear within the current franchise agreement that we expect a rail service which meets the needs of Scotland’s passengers to run for seven days a week and it is down to ScotRail to decide how this should be done.

“It is clear that the present situation is causing inconvenience to rail passengers, which is something that must be addressed.” A spokesman from Scot Rail told the Reporter: “Following the successful pay talks with our drivers, we are pleased to confirm that a normal timetable will run on Sunday July 23. We are now focussed on working with unions to develop plans to make Sunday part of the working week.”