The lowering of ScotRail's passenger satisfaction targets two years in a row allowed Abellio to avoid the possibility of being stripped of its contract to run the franchise, it has emerged.

The train operator has faced criticism over cancellations and delays to its services, with the most recent satisfaction figure standing at 79%.

The target figure is usually set at 88.5% but this was lowered in 2016-17 to 84% and in 2017-18 to 85%.

If the figure had stood at 88.5% between 2016 and 2018, ScotRail would have been in breach of its passenger satisfaction agreement, which would have potentially left open the possibility for the Scottish Government to terminate the contract.

ScotRail has been issued two formal warnings by the Government in less than two months - the first on December 24 and the second on February 8.

MSPs rejected a Scottish Labour proposal in November to enact a break clause in the ScotRail contract, which would have ended the agreement in 2022.

The party has campaigned for the rail network to be brought into public ownership. Scottish Labour's transport spokesman Colin Smyth said the Scottish Government was allowing ScotRail to get "off the hook" over its franchise obligations.

He said: "Whilst passengers stood on platforms for trains that never came, SNP ministers were secretly cutting deals to allow the firm to fail commuters across the country.

"Instead of hauling these chancers in and demanding they deliver what they are paid to do so by the taxpayer, the SNP Government let them off the hook."

A spokeswoman for Transport Scotland said that proposals to end the contract would prove costly for taxpayers.

She said: "Performance has not been where it should be and any agreed remedial plans must bring swift change to reach the levels passengers expect and deserve.

"While we can and do hold the franchisee to account for matters within their control, it is only reasonable we also take account of impacts over which any operator would have no influence. "