By Ken Banks North East reporter, BBC Scotland news website

There were some long taxi journeys as the strike began

Signal workers with the RMT union are taking part in a 48-hour stoppage over working hours.

There will be no services linking Aberdeen to Inverness and the central belt from mid-morning on Wednesday until mid-afternoon on Friday.

Passengers left facing unexpected bus, car and taxi journeys as a result expressed frustration at what they said was a lack of information.

Some Aberdeen taxi firms reported a slight increase in trade, including passengers paying about �220 to get to Edinburgh and about �300 to get to Glasgow.

The first I knew of the strike was when I walked through the door and they said the train was cancelled Brian Brander Passenger

Other passengers used taxis in their rush to get to the station to catch trains before they were cancelled.

At Aberdeen railway station, Paddy Quinlan and wife Catriona only found out there was a train strike on the way from the airport to Aberdeen rail station after returning from holiday in New Zealand.

Mr Quinlan, 57, a civil servant from Arbroath, said: "We did not know about the strike until our airport taxi driver told us, we planned to catch the train home but found out the next train is Friday.

"We have all our luggage and now it's plan B but we do not know what to do, it will either be the bus, or a taxi, but that would be very expensive. It's inconvenient.

"I do not know what to think as we know nothing about the strike."

Brian Brander was waiting for his wife to drive from their home in Arbroath to pick him up in Aberdeen after discovering his train home was cancelled.

Some sympathy

Mr Brander, 53, an offshore worker, said: "I turned up at the station and the first I knew of the strike was when I walked through the door and they said the train was cancelled.

"I phoned my wife and she's coming up from Arbroath, so it's a good thing she was in, but I think she's a bit annoyed. The buses are few and far between so I didn't have much choice.

"I have a wee bit of sympathy for the strikers but there should maybe have been more information.

"The dispute seems to have been going on for a while."

Grampian Police reported no major added traffic problems on the roads as a result of the rail strike.

Network Rail said its priority was to keep as many trains as possible running during the stoppage.

RMT members voted last month to take strike action in a dispute over working hours.

The dispute centres on an alleged failure to honour a 35-hour week agreement and abuse of rostering agreements.