Passengers are being reminded of disruption to train services this weekend as rail workers begin 48 hours of strike action.

Members of the RMT union are taking the action after it was claimed ScotRail was planning to introduce driver-only trains - a claim the company strongly denies.

Contingency plans, including replacement bus services, will be put in place over the weekend.

ScotRail said around 76% of services will run as normal and advised travellers to check its website for further details before setting off.

The strike comes as the 145th Open Championship takes place at Royal Troon in South Ayrshire.

Transport minister Humza Yousaf said earlier this week: "These rail strikes are continuing to inconvenience people right across the country.

"It's particularly disappointing that they are falling on the week of the Open Championship, which is one of the highlights of Scotland's sporting calendar.

"However, rail passengers should note that travel planning is well advanced with ScotRail offering an enhanced timetable above the regular provision.

"More services and carriages will run between Glasgow Central and Troon throughout Thursday to Sunday to allow the vast majority of people to travel to and from the venue with minimum disruption to travel plans."

ScotRail said the strike was "needless and damaging".

Phil Verster, the firm's managing director, said: "The RMT have refused point-blank to talk to us about how we modernise and improve Scotland's railway.

"Instead, they have hidden behind a national policy that says that nothing must ever change.

"Tens of thousands of our customers will be disrupted and hundreds of our own people will be hit financially as a result of their intransigence.

"The public will be astonished to hear that this is a strike only about who opens and closes doors on trains, nothing more.

"The RMT are being, at best, disingenuous when they tell people that we are trying to have driver-only trains. We are not.

"We will still schedule a second person on board when we bring in the amazing new faster, longer, greener electric trains from next year."

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "It is clear to the union from their failure to intervene that the Scottish Government are committed to introducing driver-only trains, a practice that RMT views as unsafe and inherently dangerous.

"RMT has been engaging with the public over the last eight weeks and we have the overwhelming support of the Scottish people who want to see a safety-critical guard on our services and not this watered down version of scheduling a second person on the train who has no safety-critical function and who can be removed at the drop of a hat."