The First Minister has urged both sides in the dispute over driver-only trains to "reopen meaningful discussions" in order to end the strikes.

Speaking at First Minister's Question, Nicola Sturgeon said she was "extremely disappointed" over continuing industrial action at ScotRail.

The RMT union has announced a fresh wave of strikes over plans to allow drivers, rather than a conductor, to operate doors on trains.

RMT announced earlier on Thursday that strikes would be held on July 3, 10, 11, 14 and over the weekend of July 16 and 17.

The union fears the introduction of driver-operated doors will "water down and wipe out the safety critical role of the guard on these ScotRail services".

Sturgeon stressed that ScotRail's franchise mandates at least two members of staff on a train at all times, and insisted driver-operated doors have been in operation for at least 30 years.

The First Minister said: "I'm extremely disappointed that we're seeing industrial action on our railways.

"It is, after all, the travelling public that loses out in situations like this so I would once again urge both parties to reopen meaningful discussions and work towards an agreement that stops further strikes from going ahead.

"Safety is paramount to everything that is done in our rail network."

She added: "A multi-agency response team has and will continue to operate on each of the strike dates, if they go ahead, and all modes of transport have continued to perform well."

Labour MSP Neil Bibby said: "Conductor operation guarantees passengers that a rail worker, in addition to the driver, will always be on a train to assist passengers, including in the event of an emergency."

He asked whether passengers will be at risk if there is an accident and whether disabled people would be disadvantaged if "there is no longer a second rail worker to assist".

The First Minister said Labour had displayed "a complete misunderstanding of the issue".

She said: "The franchise mandates ScotRail to have that second member of staff, unless there are exceptional circumstances, on board each and every single train and that is audited regularly.

"This not an issue about whether there is no longer going to be a second member of staff on the train, this is an issue about whether it is drivers that open the doors or not."

Sturgeon added that drivers have been able to operate train doors for at least 30 years, and urged Labour to stop spreading "the wrong information".