Over the years, there have been many different excuses put forward for trains being delayed, from leaves on the line to the wrong type of snow.

Recently we have seen a rise in rails becoming buckled in the heat while I was once on a train delayed for more than two hours after a trampoline blew onto the electric wires and shut the lie down.

But there could be a new excuse being wheeled for rail delays in Scotland, namely the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine in the Middle East.

Unions have warned that Scotland's train drivers will refuse to work on new ScotRail trains if a company which operates in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is given the contract to build new rolling stock.

The national rail operator has shortlisted five companies to provide at least 69 new electric and battery-electric trains to operate on routes such as East Kilbride, Fife, Borders, and the Glasgow inner suburban routes.

The new fleet procurement includes the design, manufacture, testing, certification, commissioning, and delivery of the trains, as well as long-term technical support and spares arrangements to help support their introduction and operation.

The five shortlisted bidders are Alstom Engineering Services, Hitachi Rail, Siemens Mobility, Stadler Rail and Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles.

But the last of those has been named by the United Nations Human Rights Office on its updated database of companies involved in unlawful Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The Basque company is involved in construction and maintaining the red and green lines of Jerusalem's light rail system in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The former was recently extended to take in the Neve Yaakov settlement in East Jerusalem, which is considered illegal under international law.

'A total utter shambles': Roll out of new ScotRail app hit by technical problems

'Grim': ScotRail slammed over closure of remote train station facilities

120,000 use Glasgow Central on first day ScotRail timetable restored following fire

'Swap Pula for Oban': ScotRail launches new map........

© Herald Scotland