The Strategic Rail Authority said the move will affect Virgin's cross country services north of Edinburgh.

Virgin stressed the changes would only affect off-peak services.

Its corporate affairs manager for Scotland, Allan McLean, said passengers would benefit from the changes as more carriages would be added to peak services in a bid to ease overcrowding.

People are more likely to get a seat on the busiest trains and services should run on time more successfully Allan McLean, Virgin

Mr McLean said: "The most important thing is that the number of services from Edinburgh to Birmingham via Leeds will continue to operate, as will all existing services from Edinburgh and Glasgow to destinations such as Manchester and Birmingham.

"Where the thinning out will take place is north of Edinburgh with off-peak trains which are not very busy."

He said services to Aberdeen and Dundee would be affected, but stressed alternative ScotRail and GNER trains would run shortly before or soon after the scrapped services.

Mr McLean added: "We welcome the announcement because it means people are more likely to get a seat on the busiest trains and services should run on time more successfully."

In a related move, some services from Aberdeen and Dundee will now run to Penzance.

'Lunacy'

Virgin operates 80 trains a day in Scotland, but cross border services on the flagship West Coast line will not be affected by the SRA's decision.

Rail chiefs announced on Thursday that more than 100 train services a day will be cut across the UK.

Rail union the RMT said the move was "lunacy", but the SRA chairman Richard Bowker insisted the gain from the reductions would outweigh the pain.

The cuts will take effect when the summer timetable is introduced in May.

UK-wide, 104 services a day, out of 17,000, will be axed.

The Rail Passengers Council said it accepted the need to ease congestion, but called for the emphasis in future to be on expanding rail services.