Return of MV Caledonian Isles ferry delayed for a further month
Ferry operator CalMac has announced that the return of the MV Caledonian Isles - which has been out of service since last February - has been delayed by a further month.The ship has faced a series of issues including rust and twisted frames.It had been due to return to the Arran route by the end of April, but that has now been pushed back to the end of May.Until then, the service to Brodick will continue from Troon with a two-vessel service of MV Glen Sannox and MV Alfred.
CalMac said it had found new issues with the tubes for MV Caledonian Isles' propeller shafts.The state-owned operator's chief executive officer Duncan Mackison said: "We know MV Caledonian Isles' ongoing absence has caused significant disruption on Arran and the wider network, and that's why we've taken steps to ensure that when she returns, she provides a resilient and reliable service."We're in regular contact with Arran's ferry committee and want to reassure the local community that we expect MV Caledonian Isles back soon."Meanwhile, a further delay to the return of MV Hebrides from scheduled annual maintenance has also been announced.CalMac said the vessel, which operates on the Uig triangle, requires an extra six days of work to the bow visor and stern ramp.It is now set to return on Tuesday 22 April.The current alternative deployment plan will continue until the vessel is back in service.
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The Herald Scotland
14 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Why are there issues with CalMac ferries this summer?
There are currently three ferries sidelined - with two more scheduled in the pipeline in the height of the summer season for Scotland's islands. What is the latest concern? The 32-year-old CalMac veteran MV Caledonian Isles has been sidelined indefinitely - after 17 months out of action for repairs - at height of the summer season, but there are already two ferries out of action and user have been told there will be three more in the pipeline. What causes frequent breakdowns and service disruptions? The primary issue is the ageing ferry fleet, caused by a lack of investment in the ferries which continues to hit services, as the state-owned ferry operator CalMac looks to juggle its resources to cover what are lifeline services as best it can. Four years ago, more than half of Scotland's lifeline ferry network was operating outwith its working life expectancy - being over 25 years old. MV Isle of Cumbrae (Image: Newsquest) The oldest in the CalMac fleet is the Isle of Cumbrae which is now 23 years past its working life expectancy at 44 years old. The MV Lord of the Isles, serving South Uist, is itself over 30 years old and has experienced multiple mechanical failures, including corroded steel, radar faults, and engine issues. Such problems necessitate extended repairs, during which no replacement vessels are available due to fleet limitations. How do these disruptions impact the local economy? Local businesses, especially those dependent on tourism and ferry traffic, suffer significant losses during service outages. For instance, a food takeaway near the Lochboisdale ferry terminal on South Uist reported losing hundreds of pounds per sailing, leading to reduced staff hours and cancelled tourist bookings. Read more from Martin Williams: What is being done to address the ferry service issues? The Scottish Government pledged £580 million over five years to improve ferry services, including procuring new vessels. However, delays in constructing new ferries, such as Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa at the state-owned Ferguson Marine shipyard, have hindered progress. The Glen Sannox finally commenced service in early 2025, with the Glen Rosa now not expected to arrive till between April and June next year. Additionally, new ferries like the MV Isle of Islay and MV Loch Indaal are planned to enhance service reliability. A contract has also been awarded to a Polish firm for the construction of seven new electric battery-powered vessels for smaller routes. How are the ferry services paid for? CalMac, under a contract awarded by Transport Scotland, gets subsidies to cover operational costs not met by fare revenues. The current £975m eight-year Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) contract expired in September 2024. But CalMac are getting a contract directly from ministers without going to a competitive tender to continue running services for another ten years. The contract is worth £3.7bn. While passengers pay fares to use ferry services, they typically cover only a portion of the operating costs. CalMac (Image: PA) The subsidies are in place because some ferry routes are not commercially viable due to low passenger volumes and high operating costs. Subsidies ensure that island communities remain connected to the mainland, supporting local economies and access to essential services. Last year it was announced that ferry fears would increase by 10% from this year to allow the continued support of the ferries network in future years. How are new ferries paid for? The Scottish Government, or the taxpayer provides capital funding for new ferries via Transport Scotland. This funding is often channelled through "voted loans" to a separate state-owned company, Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited, which owns the ferries, ports, harbours and infrastructure. While funding mechanisms are in place, critics say challenges in procurement and project management have highlighted the need for ongoing oversight and reform. Why did the Scottish Government decide to go ahead with the award directly to CalMac while there is a level of upset over how ferry services are delivered? The transport secretary, Fiona Hyslop, said that a direct award "fundamentally changes the ethos of the service by shifting from a commercial arrangement to a model more focused on the delivery of a public service engaged on the particular needs of the communities it serves". The Herald has asked what this means and has still been awaiting a response. The way CalMac operates means that profits are already not distributed to shareholders but are instead reinvested into the company to maintain and enhance ferry services. She said she expects it will become a "catalyst for positive change across the Clyde and Hebrides network, based on a more efficient, flexible model of delivery that fully reflects community interests." Transport Scotland was asked to explain whether there were any value for money benefits. What is the community's stance on this approach? While the Scottish Government sees a direct award as beneficial, some community representatives have voiced opposition. Concerns include potential service quality issues and the lack of competitive pressure to drive improvements. What is the ferry operator CalMac saying about the latest issues? They told users: "Although we plan and prepare for multiple eventualities – this is not what we hoped for. Everyone at Caledonian MacBrayne is disappointed that MV Caledonian Isles is not yet ready to carry passengers. "This is keenly felt by our team, and we know that will be the case for customers and communities – especially so close to her planned return to service. We continue to work closely with the gearbox manufacturer onsite. Thank you to the communities and customers for your patience while we work at pace to resolve this further issue – and to return her to service. "
The Herald Scotland
14 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
'Chaos' over five sidelined CalMac ferries & one that 'should be written off'
There are currently three ferries sidelined - with two more scheduled in the pipeline over the next month in the height of the summer season for Scotland's islands. And there are concerns that the spin off effect will lead to disruption to a major Gaelic festival. News that the 32-year-old CalMac veteran was sidelined indefinitely - after 17 months out of action for repairs - comes at the height of the summer season and coincided with protesters converging on the Scottish Parliament to protest over the uncertainty over the future of Ardrossan as a port for ferries. Users estimated hundreds of passengers have had to be diverted 15 miles to Troon to get on either MV Glen Sannox or MV Alfred to get to Brodick on Arran after CalMac took booking for the stricken MV Caledonian Isles. Buses have been brought in to operate between Ardrossan port and Troon port for foot passengers until further notice. MV Caledonian Isles (Image: NQ) Users have now been told that the £1m-a-month MV Alfred one of two vessels serving Arran will be sidelined between July 7 and July 21 for essential maintenance having had that overhaul previously delayed. There has been disquiet as Arran is reduced to a one-vessel service early on June 25 with staff needing mandatory training. But timetables for the sole vessel MV Glen Sannox are resulting in three journeys, described by one user group official as "completely inadequate". All of MV Alfred's three return sailings have been wiped out. READ MORE Past summer timetables have had 10 return journeys on the same day. Meanwhile CalMac's booking system has been shut for new booking and amendments. CalMac has told users it will be in touch with any impacted customers with a booking between June 25 to July 6 over disruptions. It has further emerged that another of the CalMac work horses 36-year-old MV Lord of the Isles which serves the South Uist which has been the subject of protest over cuts to services is to be taken out between July 9 and 11 for cylinder head works in Oban. MV Lord of the Isles (Image: .) For several years, South Uist has regularly been the victim of cuts due to ferry breakdowns and delays in annual maintenance which climaxed in losing their service completely for nearly the whole of June, 2023. And users have been told that 38-year-old MV Isle of Mull has been sidelined to install a Marine Evacuation System (MES) - after it had its capacity cut to 45 from due to safety concerns and is not scheduled to return till the end of June. The ferry has been supporting services around the Uists because of problems elsewhere in the system and John Daniel Peteranna of the South Uist Business Impact Group (SUBIG) which started a major protest over service cuts in June 2023 said that MV Caledonian Isles should have been written off and that MV Alfred should have been bought. And he said that the work on Isle of Mull, which went out of service around May 23, would take three weeks but that that time has passed. CalMac denies saying it would take three weeks and that they are awaiting regulatory approval for it to resume normal operations as soon as possible "They never keep to plan, it is always late," he said. He said it is feared the departures would lash with one of the major island events with the Ceòlas Summer School celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, from 6th to 11th July. It emerged that 24-year-old MV Hebrides is to be removed from service on June 30 until July 3 to allow for inspection to her bow visor. Users were told that MV Alfred would be covering for its departure, but the uncertainty over MV Caledonian Isles has thrown a spanner in those works. Mr Peteranna said the Ceòlas Summer School event is a major Gaelic festival in Scotland and is internationally recognised as being significant for Gaelic language and culture. John Daniel Peteranna (Image: NQ) He said that it was feared the "risk posed by the removal of the Lord of the Isles from Lochboisdale for Ceòlas week is huge, causing major disruption for participants, tutors and the local businesses and community who rely on all our transport links to be fully operational". He said: "Ceòlas is a charitable organisation, and the possibility of this disruption causing participants to cancel their attendance, and the subsequent loss of confidence looking to the future could be extremely damaging. "The event is long-standing in the Uist calendar and is attended by many who travel to take part from all over the world." The cost of repairing 32-year-old MV Caledonian Isles spiralled to be just £3m short of what Pentland Ferries spent to buy the emergency catamaran replacement MV Alfred that has been seen as a 'stalwart' performer on the Arran route. The £11m repair cost which is expected to rise is £2m more than a catamaran ferry available for £9m four years ago, which was rejected by Scottish Government-owned procuring and ferry owning company Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL). The rejected ferry was similar in design to MV Alfred which was chartered for a further five months to October help state-owned ferry operator CalMac cope with lifeline services across the Clyde and Hebrides network. MV Alfred (Image: Newsquest) So far the bill for chartering MV Alfred amounts to £22m - which is £8m more than it cost to buy. A ferry user group official said: "It is the height of the summer season, and even with MV Glen Sannox in the mix we have a chaotic period where nobody seems to know what is happening, when it will happen and how it will happen. "MV Caledonian Isles should have been written off because by the time you calculate the total cost of the repairs which is £11m and now rising, you could actually have bought an MV Alfred. "The problems with Caledonian Isles echo that of MV Hebridean Isles which has now been put out to pasture. "The chickens again come home to roost on the government failure to properly invest in our ferries." MV Hebridean Isles, which served Arran, was retired and scrapped at the end of last year after 38 years service after it required lengthy and costly repairs - including in 2023 when it was out of action for 10 months with repairs costing £2.5m. CalMac have told users: "Although we plan and prepare for multiple eventualities – this is not what we hoped for. Everyone at Caledonian MacBrayne is disappointed that MV Caledonian Isles is not yet ready to carry passengers. "This is keenly felt by our team, and we know that will be the case for customers and communities – especially so close to her planned return to service. We continue to work closely with the gearbox manufacturer onsite. Thank you to the communities and customers for your patience while we work at pace to resolve this further issue – and to return her to service." A £97m ferry contract to build two ferries at the Inverclyde shipyard firm Ferguson Marine, owned then by the Scots tycoon and entrepreneur Jim McColl got approval a decade ago. The Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa ferries were due to start taking passengers in the first half of 2018 with both eventually to serve Arran but have run seven years or more late with costs expected rise more than five fold the original £97m contract. Glen Sannox finally started taking passengers in January. In the midst of the delays and soaring costs, Ferguson Marine under the control of Mr McColl fell into administration and was nationalised at the end of 2019 with CMAL and the yard's management blaming each other. A CalMac spokesman said: "Like many people across the network, everyone at CalMac is disappointed MV Caledonian Isles hasn't returned. We want to give communities and customers certainty over services for the remainder of summer, and that is why we are developing a plan for not having MV Caledonian Isles, and a plan for having her which can be implemented when she returns."
STV News
a day ago
- STV News
‘Impossible to say' how long Arran ferry will remain out of action, says Calmac
It is 'impossible to say' how long a ferry serving one of Scotland's busiest island routes will continue to be out of action, the operator has said. The MV Caledonian Isles usually operates on the route between Ardrossan in North Ayrshire and Brodick on the Isle of Arran, but it has been out of service since January last year. It had been due to return to the route in recent weeks, but issues with its gearbox have forced consistent delays. On Thursday, CalMac announced the ship would return to dry dock for work on a pressure issue with its propulsion system. Chief executive Duncan Mackison said the inspection will take a few days, and the length of time the ship will continue to be out of action will not be known until that is completed. 'Everyone at CalMac is disappointed that MV Caledonian Isles isn't ready to carry passengers yet, and I know that disappointment will be shared by communities across our network and by those who travel to and from Arran regularly,' he said. 'Once the vessel is in drydock, the inspection will take a few days. Until then, it is impossible to say how long any repair might take. 'But there is a range of possible scenarios going from the issue being resolved in a few days to it taking significantly longer. 'To give communities and customers certainty, we're removing MV Caledonian Isles from deployment plans for now and will provide a detailed update on any service impact early next week.' When it returns to service, the Caledonian Isles will run from Ardrossan, the only ferry in the vicinity able to do so given the long-awaited MV Glen Sannox and its yet-to-be-delivered sister ship are too big to dock at the port, meaning passengers have to board at Troon, South Ayrshire. The Scottish Government is investigating potentially buying the port at Ardrossan to make the necessary changes to allow both newer vessels to berth there, but talks are reported to have stalled. Scottish Tory transport spokeswoman Sue Webber said the latest news will have 'Arran residents tearing their hair out in despair'. 'It beggars belief that there is still no return date for a ferry which has been out of service since January last year,' she said. 'The makeshift CalMac fleet is hanging together by a thread – and the blame for this lies squarely with the SNP and their abject failure to build the new ferries that betrayed islanders were promised years ago. 'CalMac and island communities have been left crossing their fingers that no other aging and decrepit vessels break down in the meantime.' A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: 'CalMac has informed us that while carrying out sea trials for MV Caledonian Isles, further work has been identified relating to pressure levels in the propulsion system. Further information is expected in the coming days. 'In the interim, a two-vessel service will continue to operate between Arran and the mainland, via Troon. This two-vessel service will be delivered by MV Glen Sannox and MV Alfred. 'MV Alfred, which is currently chartered from Pentland Ferries, will be retained by CalMac until the end of October. 'This will continue to provide improved resilience across the Clyde and Hebrides ferry network.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
