ABOUT 40 passengers were left stranded at Musselburgh Railway Station yesterday morning (Wednesday) when an early-morning train pulled in with just three carriages.

Robert Keenan, who commutes daily to his IT job with the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh, said the 7.44am train, en route to Edinburgh's Haymarket, was full when it arrived at the platform, and, as far as he could see, no one was able to board it.

The train was running with three carriages, as opposed to six, due to the other three carriages requiring maintenance.

Mr Keenan, who lives in Musselburgh, said the next train departing Prestonpans at 8.10am was "exceptionally busy" due to a knock-on effect of passengers being unable to board the earlier train, including at those at Wallyford. He said there were no buses laid on for passengers left at Musselburgh.

He added: "Four years ago I could get a seat, now I can't even get on the train, and more houses are being built in the area."

The route has been dogged with continuing problems such as such as serious overcrowding, frequent delays and cancellations, and problems with ticketing, including broken ticket machines.

READ MORE: ScotRail apologises for 'unacceptable service'

Mr Keenan has now taken his concerns to politicians including the First Minister, Transport Minister and Musselburgh MSP Colin Beattie.

He also wrote a letter to the Courier about the issue: read it here.

A ScotRail spokesperson said: "We’re really sorry to customers who experienced disruption to their journey. We know that one of the biggest concerns is busy trains, and we’re working hard to deliver the level of service our customers expect."

He added that a replacement bus from Prestonpans to Edinburgh was put on, calling at each of the stations along the route to pick up any additional customers.