Latest news with #MVAlfred
STV News
8 hours ago
- Business
- 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
Daily Record
a day ago
- Daily Record
Arran ferry service hit by new setback as Caledonian Isles returns to dry dock
The MV Caledonian Isles has been plagued with maintenance issues which have delayed its return to service. CalMac can't say when services will run between Ardrossan and Arran after the MV Caledonian Isles was taken back to dry dock before it could re-entre service. Gearbox problems had delayed the long-awaited return of the vessel but the ferry operator today, Thursday, June 19, confirmed it would be returning to dry dock for further inspections. The MV Caledonian Isles had been due to return to the route from Brodick to Ardrossan in March after maintenance but that date had continued to be pushed back by a series of unforeseen issues. It means passengers looking to travel between Arran and the mainland will be restricted to sailing via Troon for the time being. Further disruption is expected on the Arran service as the MV Alfred will be out of service on Wednesday, June 25 for "mandatory" training and then again from Monday, July 7 for two weeks for "essential maintenance which has already been delayed". A spokesperson for CalMac said: "MV Caledonian Isles will now be moved to drydock following attendance by divers and the manufacturer. This means she will be unavailable for service. We don't yet have a return to service date until the investigation takes place. "This is the next stage of efforts to resolve what we now know to be an ongoing issue with pressure levels in her propulsion system. We will provide another update on this next week. "MV Glen Sannox and MV Alfred will continue to operate the service to/from Arran until 6 July, as per the current timetable - with the exception of 25 June. "However, on 25 June, MV Alfred needs to be off service to fulfil prearranged mandatory MES training. "MV Alfred requires essential maintenance, which has already been delayed once to support network requirements, between 7 and 21 July. "We will provide a further update on deployment plans next week when the investigation has progressed further." Ardrossan Harbour has lain empty since the MV Glen Sannox entered service in January - six years late and four times over budget - as the Arran service moved exclusively to Troon. as the timescale for repairs to the MV Caledonian Isles were extended. Ardrossan Harbour is too small to cope with the MV Glen Sannox - the second largest and the most complex vessel ever built for CalMac - and its sister ship the MV Glen Rosa. Plans to upgrade the harbour were previously approved by the Scottish Government in 2018 but discussions between stakeholders stalled and the work has yet to start. In February, the Scottish Government announced they would explore nationalising Ardrossan Harbour so that upgrades could be done to allow the Arran ferry to return.
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Major CalMac ferry is sidelined 'indefinitely' after £11m of repairs
It is now going back to dry dock for repairs just a couple of days after CalMac said in the latest of a series of false dawns for a return that it would be back in action from June 25. CalMac had been booking passengers on MV Caledonian Isles for the Ardrossan to Arran ferry crossing in the past couple of weeks in expectation of its return - only for it not to happen. A 'save Ardrossan' group had had to postpone a celebration because of the continuing uncertainty of the return of the ferry. Users estimate 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. CalMac has told users that the decision has come after divers inspected MV Caledonian Isles and in with discussions with the manufacturer, had to be moved to dry dock for the next stage of efforts to resolve the "ongoing issue with pressure in the propulsion system". They were told that they were "unable to confirm a return to service date until the vessel has been docked and inspected. hr /> READ MORE: Why has a 'rudderless' CalMac ferry been out of action for 16 months 'Final nail in coffin'. Scots fiasco firm loses out on big ferry contract to Poland 'Material uncertainty' over Scots ferry operator future amidst £45m funding hike 'Mismanagement': Public cost of Scots ferry fiasco firm hits £750m amidst overspends They were told: "From that inspection, there are a range of scenarios and outcomes which could see a fix take anything from a few days to significantly longer. "To give certainty to communities and customers, we are working at speed to review deployment plans for the next few weeks and will publish any amendments to timetables early next week." It is expected that the Troon to Arran service would continue to be provided "Everyone at CalMac is really disappointed we do not have the vessel back in service. I am sorry that Arran continues to experience disruption, particularly on June 25," said the message. The cost of repairing 32-year-old MV Caledonian Isles has spiralled to be £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 the 'emergency' catamaran ferry MV Alfred serving Arran, which has now been chartered for a further five months to help state-owned ferry operator CalMac cope with lifeline services across the Clyde and Hebrides network. CalMac (Image: Newsquest) The usual Arran ferry MV Caledonian Isles was due out of its annual overhaul on February 17 last year but remains out of service. After a series of postponements, its latest scheduled return to the Ardrossan-Brodick route had been pencilled in for June 12. The ship has faced a series of issues including rust and twisted frames. In the meantime, the service to Brodick has had to move from Ardrossan and continue from Troon with a two-vessel service of the new, much delayed and wildly over-budget Ferguson Marine-built MV Glen Sannox and MV Alfred. Four years ago the Scottish Government-owned owner of the ferry fleet demanded a foreign firm pay up to £100,000 to gain UK maritime approval before purchasing a ferry for just £9m - and the insistence led to the deal collapsing. Discussions about acquiring the Indonesia-built vessel came before what was described at the time as a 'summer of chaos' across Scotland's ageing ferry network. It was claimed that CMAL made an "incredible" move to have the overseas owners fork out for the official approvals for any modifications to make it suitable for Scottish waters, which were estimated to have cost no more than £100,000. A ferry user group official said the continuing uncertainty over MV Caledonian Isles was "another farce" and added: "It is incredible that people have had bookings for ferries going from Ardrossan when there is so much uncertainty over if it will ever come back. "As I have said before, and this underlines it, it is more mismanagement from a ferry operator management that is being given an uncontested direct award of the ferry contract by the Scottish Government. " Dubbed the most environmentally-friendly ferry service of its kind in Scotland, MV Alfred was said to burn one third of the fuel of an equivalent CalMac ferry with space for up to 430 passengers and 98 cars, or 54 cars and 12 articulated vehicles/coaches. A shore-based wind turbine provides power when the vessel is docked overnight. p> MV Alfred (Image: NQ) It has been confirmed that the 'emergency' CalMac catamaran ferry, which is being chartered for a further five months, will be costing the taxpayer some £22m. Duncan Mackison, CalMac's chief executive said: '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. '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.'
The National
2 days ago
- The National
MV Caledonian Isles return delayed for fourth time in less than a week
The MV Caledonian Isles – which serves the Ardrossan to Brodick route – has been out of action for 18 months but was supposed to make a long-awaited return last week. But the return of the vessel has been continually pushed back over the last few days, and a specialist has now had to be brought in from Norway to assist with the investigation into the latest fault. CalMac has said the ferry will not return to service on Saturday as previously hoped and will now resume on Wednesday, June 25. READ MORE: Orkney council ends investigation into leaving UK People looking to travel to Arran will still be able to do so from Troon on the MV Glen Sannox or MV Alfred. Kongsberg, the manufacturer of the gearbox, is sending a technical specialist to the vessel who will arrive on Thursday. Trials undertaken ahead of Thursday will gather more data to help CalMac and Kongsberg diagnose and resolve the problem, CalMac said. A CalMac spokeswoman said: 'Whilst we recognise a further delay is disappointing, we have taken the decision to extend the return date into next week to provide customers and the community with certainty ahead of the weekend. "Continuing to have MV Alfred as part of the fleet means that we can honour all customer bookings, so visitors can still travel to and from Arran as planned. 'Once repaired, the vessel will need a further two days of sea trials before a full return to service. Our next update to customers and to the Arran community will be issued on Monday, June 23." The delay to the return of the Caledonian Isles has left locals in Ardrossan furious, with dozens of campaigners planning to stage a protest over the ongoing problems with both the ferry and the harbour at Holyrood on Thursday. READ MORE: Scottish oil and gas firm fined £300,000 after 'terrifying incident' In a post on Facebook earlier this week, the Save Ardrossan Harbour group said island communities had been left "stranded". "This is just the latest failure in a long line of letdowns caused by CMAL's aging fleet and chronic lack of forward planning. They've ordered ferries that don't fit key harbours and allowed the fleet to decline to a shameful state—leaving Scotland's island communities stranded, frustrated, and ignored,' it said. Members of the Save Ardrossan Harbour group and the Arran for Ardrossan Harbour campaign – which represent locals either side of the route – are due to gather at Holyrood to demand action is taken over the dilapidated harbour which has needed an upgrade for years. The MV Glen Sannox and its sister ship the MV Glen Rosa – which is due to come into service next year – are both too large to berth at Ardrossan. There have been no ferries running from Ardrossan for five months, which has left businesses in the town concerned about their future. The Scottish Government promised seven years ago that Ardrossan would remain the main gateway to Arran and pledged to fund the multi-million-pound upgrade required to accommodate the new ferries. But the project was paused in 2023 amid concern over rising costs and disagreements over how the bill should be split between the three partners: Peel Ports, North Ayrshire Council and the Scottish Government. Communities on both sides of the Firth of Clyde are keen to see Ardrossan remain the gateway to Arran given many people in the town travel to the island for work, while Arran residents have medical appointments in Ardrossan. In February, Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop revealed that money had been set aside to take Ardrossan Harbour into public ownership. But since then, campaigners have lost faith in the progress of negotiations. Wyllie Hume, chair of the Arran for Ardrossan Harbour group, told the Sunday National he had written directly to Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes to ask her to intervene in the negotiations, but the Scottish Government has said it is "wholly appropriate" CMAL leads the talks on ministers' behalf.
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Herald Scotland
Caledonian Isles return delayed as specialist flies in from Norway
The vessel was supposed to make its long-awaited return on Friday 13th June, but this was postponed after the gearbox glitch was uncovered. CalMac has now said that further work will be required before the ship can enter service – with a specialist having to travel from Norway to assist with the investigation into the fault. The vessel is now set to resume service between Ardrossan and Brodick on Wednesday 25 June. Until then, all customer demand will continue to be met with a two-vessel service out of Troon with MV Glen Sannox and MV Alfred. Problems have dogged the MV Caledonian Isles for more than a year (Image: NQ) Efforts to resolve the gearbox issue are ongoing, with several potential root causes having been eliminated over the past few days. The vessel will undertook further trials on Tuesday 17 June to gather data. Kongsberg, the manufacturer of the gearbox, is sending a technical specialist to the vessel who will arrive on Thursday. Months of major repair work took place in dry dock at Cammell Laird shipyard in Merseyside, requiring removal of the ship's engines. The ferry, which serves the main Arran route and is one of the largest ships in the company's fleet, was originally supposed to have returned to the water following repairs last November. But this was set back by the discovery of 'steel deformation' and the need to replace both stern tube bearings. The MV Caledonian Isles, docked at Broddick (Image: NQ) The company said 'extensive' repairs to the steel had to be completed, but the shafts required further 'machining' in Denmark before sailings could resume. A CalMac spokeswoman said: 'Whilst we recognise a further delay is disappointing, we have taken the decision to extend the return date into next week to provide customers and the community with certainty ahead of the weekend. 'Continuing to have MV Alfred as part of the fleet means that we can honour all customer bookings, so visitors can still travel to and from Arran as planned.
