Interesting plans from Calmac

[wully]

From the Herald.

IT is a familiar sight to the millions of passengers who use Scotland’s ferry network every year.
Crew members lined up at either end of the vessel as it docks in port, before throwing ropes over the side for colleagues ashore to tie up the vessel and allow passengers on and off.
But this could be consigned to history under radical plans to transform Scotland’s ferry network which are detailed in a blueprint which will go before MSP’s this week.
Under the proposals, the current model of serving island communities will be ripped up and instead will be based on the Norwegian system of smaller ferries covering shorter routes.

The move aims to increase capacity with more ferries and in some cases journeys being broken up using islands as "land bridges" to reduce journey times.
It would see islanders in the Outer Hebrides able to do business on the mainland in a day and return home without an overnight stay.
According to the expert behind it, it would also help repopulate islands as crew would live on the islands they serve rather than on board and staffing costs would be reduced.
Perhaps crucially, it would also dramatically reduce the annual subsidy paid to ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne to run the service.
The blueprint for the future of the network will go before Holyrood this week and comes as CalMac has been heavily criticised after a summer of disruption across the network due to breakdowns of the ageing fleet.
Transport expert Roy Pedersen, who spent 30 years in Highlands and Islands development, has submitted evidence which he says would radically reform the network and save the taxpayer millions of pounds in subsidies paid to CalMac.
According to the proposal, the current level of investment is well in excess of other countries but productivity is “extremely poor and deteriorating”.
Under his plan, a new fleet of around 10 smaller, more efficient ferries would be built with the total bill of around £280 million. Upgrades to the ports they would serve will cost another £20m.

Pedersen points out that Andrew Banks, owner of Pentland Ferries, is awaiting delivery of a new 100-car capacity ferry at a cost of £14m, compared with £50m-plus for the new hybrid green ferry MV Glen Sannox currently being built at Ferguson's.
One of the main points in the paper is reducing the number of staff required for each journey and ending the practice of ferry staff staying on board which adds to the operating costs.
Ferries would be crewed by a staff of around 12 to 14 as opposed to the 30-plus currently used.
This would allow staff to work shifts similar to other operators and in Norway, and enable more ferries to run during the day and extend the timetable with services starting earlier and finishing later.
Staff would also live in the communities they serve which, it is argued, would help boost the populations of remote island communities as the smaller ferries would be based in the island ports and not on the mainland.
Pedersen said: “The alternative of crew living ashore on island communities served would contribute to the government’s objective of boosting island economies and reduce ship capital and operating costs.
“For the larger CalMac vessels it takes nine personnel to berth and cast-off a ship, this is done in Norway with just one hand due to efficient “lock-on” linkspan design.
“Thus, if more cost-effective policies and practices along Scandinavian lines were adopted, much improved and higher capacity services could be provided for less public money.”

Lock-on linkspans are already used in Scotland at the ports served by Western Ferries at Hunter’s Quay, near Gourock and on Shetland’s inter-island ferries.
Western Ferries carry more passengers and vehicles than the CalMac competition on the routes but receives no public subsidy. Each lock-on linkspan would cost around £1.5m to install at each of the 10 large ports that CalMac would serve with the new ferries.
But while the installation costs of around £15m seems expensive, the cost of the vessels themselves add another £280m.
However, two new hybrid ferries being built to ease pressure on the network, the MV Glen Sannox and its sister ship, cost nearly £100m. But the bill is set to be much higher as both are currently delayed until next summer at the earliest after hitting design problems at the Ferguson Marine yard in Port Glasgow which has heaped more pressure on the ageing fleet.
The delays come amid concerns that a recent significant increase in traffic is causing severe problems for island communities. Tourism bosses on the Outer Hebrides have already warned the disruption has cost them millions of pounds this year.
Now CalMac’s own community board has condemned delays in new ferries and is demanding action. It was formed as part of CalMac’s successful franchise bid for the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service in 2016.

At a recent meeting of the board in Mallaig, “disappointment and frustration” was reported from all parts of the network at the continuing delays in the delivery of the overdue vessels under construction, said chairman Angus Campbell.
He added: “At a meeting, also attended by CMAL and Transport Scotland, strong reservations were expressed at the apparent lack of a coherent long-term vessel replacement plan and the funding commitments necessary to provide both an improved fleet and the port improvements needed.
“The board also urged the operator to improve communication with communities and stakeholders affected by disruption and stressed the need to minimise the effects on island economies and people’s lives.
“The board feel they can work alongside the operator to help improve information quality and timing including maximising local knowledge.
“The communities board are keen to work positively with all parties to produce a more resilient and ambitious future for our ferry services resulting in better economic benefits for all that they serve but feel there is a real need for action now.”
Critics say the current problems has been a generation in the making. Scotland’s islands are getting record numbers of visitors but the boats and port infrastructure carrying them are old and are struggling to cope.
The average age of a ship is 22 and in the early 1990s, the last time Scotland had a major burst of ferry-building with 7,000 tonnes worth in 1994 alone, the average age was just 12.

Between January and the end of July this year, 2,326 out of 79,203 CalMac scheduled sailings were cancelled. Of these, 327 were for mechanical reasons. Most of the rest were because of bad weather.
The figure for cancellations for problems with the ferries looks low, not least because CalMac will stress that it laid on more than 900 extra sailings to compensate for some of them.
But when a boat breaks down, a replacement has to come from somewhere else. Somebody always loses. CalMac does not have a spare vessel, crewed and fuelled ready to move in and act as relief.
Even if it did have a spare, CalMac could far from guarantee it could use it because every port is different, whether it be an ageing linkspan or unusual tide, making it difficult for ferries just to slot in.
However, if every port was fitted with the same locked-in linkspan and ferries were smaller and more versatile then they could be moved around the network more easily to cover any breakdowns, according to the blueprint.
The blueprint also outlines how routes could be shortened and slash journey times.
In Norway, ferries tend to travel between the shortest points across the water, with islands themselves being part of the journey.
Rather than go round the islands, ferries will dock at the nearest point, passengers will travel across the island by road, before picking up a ferry at the other side to continue the journey by sea.
Under the new proposal, Mull and Jura could play vital roles acting as these “land bridges”, slash journey times and increase service frequency to Islay and the Outer Hebrides.
Ferries would dock at Craignure on Mull as normal, but Barra passengers would travel on to Tobermory where they would pick up another ferry to continue the journey.
New terminals would also be built at Glendale on Skye to shorten the crossing to Lochmaddy on North Uist and another at Kilmoluaig to Tarbert on Harris.
Likewise, Islay passengers would get a ferry from Keills on the mainland and travel to Lagg on Jura, before crossing to Islay. One other advantage is that carbon emissions would be greatly reduced without the need for hybrid fuel ferries.
Pedersen added: “Both are much shorter than the current Kennacraig to Port Askaig/Port Ellen service on Islay and would allow up to ten daily crossings and the option of direct bus services between the islands and Glasgow.”
Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands, Paul Wheelhouse, said: “We are continuing to invest in new vessels and ferry infrastructure to renew the fleet in accordance with the published Vessel Replacement and Deployment Plan. Over £1 billion has been invested in ferry services across the Clyde and Hebrides routes, since 2007.
“Work is also already under way to appraise, and subsequently to deliver on, further improvements to the ferry services to the Western Isles.”
The majority of all visitors to the Outer Hebrides travel through Stornoway harbour, emphasising the importance of the CalMac ferry service to both the town and the wider islands.
The M.V Loch Seaforth, the biggest vessel in the CalMac fleet, sails between Ullapool and Stornoway three times a day, bringing with it up to 700 passengers, 143 cars or 20 commercial vehicles each time it arrives in Lewis.
Some 280,000 ferry passengers, 95,000 cars and 13,000 commercial vehicles a year come to Stornoway via the ferry.
Weekend crossings operate at full capacity and strong growth in tourism means that there are severe capacity constraints during the summer months.
Stornoway Port Authority, which has ambitious plans to develop the harbour as part of a 20-year Master Plan, is developing proposals to ensure the Port is able to accommodate the freight ferry which will likely be deployed to the route over the next few years.
Alex Macleod, the authority’s chief executive, said: “The existing ferry provides a good service which is an absolute lifeline for the community. But the risks in being dependent on a single vessel underline the need for additional capacity to cope with existing requirements and future needs.
“The projects we are developing in the Master Plan will help stimulate further economic growth but capacity limitations on ferries could have an impact on that potential growth.
“There will always be difficulties with ferry traffic in such a weather-affected part of the world, and as we have done for over 140 years, we will continue to work very closely with Calmac ferries to assist with the delivery of a robust and flexible service. Liaising closely with Calmac Ferries we will work together to find solutions for the good of the islands and everyone who uses these essential ferry services.”
HebCelt relies heavily on CalMac ferry services to bring thousands of music fans to Lewis each summer.
The event is a huge economic driver for the islands, generating more than £2 million a year and filling hotels, guest houses and campsites. Half the festival audience comes from outside the islands and the ferry route from Ullapool to Stornoway is the main gateway to the Outer Hebrides for these visitors.
HebCelt is also a catalyst for many island-hopping holidays with festival-goers using it as the start of a tour of Lewis, Harris, the Uists and Barra which also depend on CalMac services.
Such is the demand during HebCelt that ferry services have been extended in recent years around festival time to ensure fans are able to get to and from the islands.
Festival director Caroline Maclennan said: “We have a really close relationship with CalMac and appreciate many of the difficulties and challenges it faces.
“CalMac is doing its best with an ageing fleet. The real conversation taking place just now is the frustration over the lack of investment in our lifeline services by successive governments.
“It’s easy to criticise the service when things go wrong, but there are many sides to it.
“We have a very constructive dialogue with the company which helps us effectively address issues, not just those directly affecting ferry services, but also travel to ports and connecting services which can affect both regular travellers and visitors.”

[Burst Boiler]

The "road bridges" idea would mean large spikes in traffic using roads unable to carry the current levels. The single track section approaching Tobermory would be blocked as traffic off the Tobermory arrival heading east for Craignure met those off the Craignure arrival headed for Tober. The idea is a non-starter unless there was massive investment in road building, and then the cost savings evaporate.

[pagoda]

Interesting times indeed..

As a regular user of Calmac/ CSPCo and MacBraynes over the last 55 years, a rejig of the fleet management and infrastructure makes some sense. I've seen something of the Norwegian and Danish ferry system as well.
One lingering impression of the Calmac empire is that the organisation is well geared to keeping Calmac jobs- almost as a throwback to British Railways control days. The massive new harbour complex at Brodick is overkill, as will be whatever they do to Ardrossan. The railways operate mostly by ticket machine and Online purchase nowadays. Half of the expenditure on Arran building could have been saved by installing 3 or 4 ticket machines.
Almost all ticketing in Norway is fully automated. Not the way things are done on old school Scotland!
The Proposals are not likely to go forward very far on our west coast in the immediate future, too much inertia in the organisation and limited finance to provide the cash.
Norway , by the way is investing billions in a forward road, bridge and long tunnel building programme to eliminate ferries where possible. What price the local economy once the ferries, crews and support are gone.
None of this is simple, but the basic idea of more smaller ferries, rather than huge ones with restricted berthing does seem the better way to go.

[mm5aho]

I sail past Western Ferries pier at McInroys point Gourock often and have always admired that system of holding the ferry by the propulsion system against a pier built for that. I see they have now started rebuilding the Dunoon side pier after this summer doing the Gourock side.
Is it true that Western receive no subsidy, but run as an independent commercial enterprise?

[Alan_D]

Things can go wrong with small ferries too.
http://www.theskyetimes.co.uk/index.php ... ea-narrows

[pagoda]

Things can go wrong with small ferries too.
http://www.theskyetimes.co.uk/index.php ... ea-narrows

Yes, that was a bit unfortunate. However most Calmac routes don't have to deal with Kyle Rhea tides!

[wully]

Is it true that Western receive no subsidy, but run as an independent commercial enterprise?

Allegedly the owners of Western Ferries said that if his company received the same grant as Calmac they could run their service for free...

BTW, I had a huge, tasty steak pie on the Calmac ferry today..you don’t get that on Western....

[pagoda]

Is it true that Western receive no subsidy, but run as an independent commercial enterprise?

Allegedly the owners of Western Ferries said that if his company received the same grant as Calmac they could run their service for free...

BTW, I had a huge, tasty steak pie on the Calmac ferry today..you don’t get that on Western....

I remember that quote. Most of the press ignored it. I suspect Western Ferries were on the level.....

[Bodach na mara]

A very interesting idea but, as has been pointed out, the roads on many of the islands are not suitable for two-way traffic in any volume and there is no mention of the cost of the necessary upgrading. The one that sprang to my mind is on Jura, where unless if has been drastically improved since I was last there, is little more than a pot-holed cart track north of Craighouse.


The idea of a common standard of linkspan to which all vessels could berth is also a bit of a pious hope unless all vessels were of a similar small size. Remember, the engineering genii of our country have ben unable of getting train carriage floors level with station platforms.

[claymore]

Wonder if they are thinking of running a ferry to Tesco's.....

[BlowingOldBoots]

Norway are also building tunnels and bridges and getting rid of some of their ferries. Norway also has a colossal sovereign wealth fund, maybe the largest in the world and a tiny population. There is no comparison that can sensibly be made between the UK and Norway regarding ferry strategy.

A visionary plan would be a bridge from Isa to Jura, Scarba, Luing, Seil and the Bridge at Clachan would be a quaint tourist attraction. Lismore would be bridged, Bute would be bridged (at both ends) with the southern end to Little Cumbrae (a beautiful curving skywards bridge with room under for the largest vessels), to Great Cumbrae then a tunnel to Largs. There would also be a tunnel to Dunoon from Greenock. There would be a decent road network.

There has been no vision in the UK since the 1970's, some say since WW1, make do and mend, that's Great Britain these days.

[cpedw]

Wonder if they are thinking of running a ferry to Tesco's.....

M&S need it more ...

[BlowingOldBoots]

Good on Shetland Islands Council for their forward thinking. I can't help but wonder about priorities and per capita value. Still, where others lead, the rest shall follow. Is this the start of a new Scottish Renaissance in public infrastructure? Don't give up your CalMac Island Hopper tickets yet.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg7jw27w1do

An example of a forward thinking nation that is the fraction of the size of the UK. https://guidetofaroeislands.fo/travel-i ... s-tunnels/

[Gardenshed]

so where would you prioritise tunnels in Scotland?
mainland to Mull? (Oban to Duart? or across to Morven and cross half way up the sound of Mull?
Ayrshire to Arran and another on to Campbeltown?
cross the Clyde the Cloch and cross to Dunoon and the Cowal peninsula?

Some foresight and parts of Scotland could really opened up

but when the A9 still isn't a dual carriageway, is there any hope?

[BlowingOldBoots]

so where would you prioritise tunnels in Scotland?
mainland to Mull? (Oban to Duart? or across to Morven and cross half way up the sound of Mull?
Ayrshire to Arran and another on to Campbeltown?
cross the Clyde the Cloch and cross to Dunoon and the Cowal peninsula?

Some foresight and parts of Scotland could really opened up

but when the A9 still isn't a dual carriageway, is there any hope?

It is certainly not an easy thing to do, tunnel, for geological, economic and societal reasons.

Scotland's transport efficiency would probably be be better served with bridges rather than tunnels in some obvious cases and as Burst Boiler points out in an earlier post, its not just the connection, its the roads on either side in some cases e.g. the roads on Mull are pathetic, Skye not much better (with the problems well reported such as the Fairy Pools) and many on the main land north of the central belt are also inadequate.

A quick glance at the charts shows areas where bridges would be a better choice than a tunnel without much engineering difficulty, also allowing large vessels to continue their journey.

The A9, A82, A83 are all examples of how the Highlands and Islands transport network is poorly served by governments. The Queens Crossing an example of how the central belt gets served.

Some thoughts, if we are to play fantasy Transport Secretary, assume associated road upgrades.

1. Great Cumbrea, bridge from Largs, similar style to the Skye bridge, humpbacked for clearance but in effect closing off the northern channel to large ships.
2. Cloch to Dunoon, high level bridge and associated high level bridge across Loch Fyne at Otter Ferry.
3. Arran bridge, just north of Caraddale, high level, using Erin bank for one of the pillars. However, the terminal moraine at the bottom of the Kilbranan Sound is shallow enough to tunnel through joining the land to east of Campbelltown with the south of Arran.
4. Bute Tunnel from around Toward through Rothesay Sound. Alternatively a high bridge across the Burnt Islands.
5. Islay, Jura, Scarba, Lunga, Luing, Seil connected with bridges all at high levels to not impede marine traffic.
6. Bridge and Tunnel combination to the south of Colonsay from the north westish of Islay.
7. Mull high level bridge at SE entrance to Snd of Mull using the islands at the narrows for the pillars.
8. Tunnel at the Corran narrows.
9. Tunnel west Mull to Coll, then bridge to Tiree
10. Combination of bridges and tunnels from North Skye to North Harris using the various islets for bridge pillars. It's not that deep either.
11. The Small Islands are more challenging, possibly a deep tunnel from Arisaig to Eigg might be possible, with very large single span bridges or deep tunnels joining up the others.
12. A combination of bridges and tunnels to transit the Pentland Firth joining Scotland to the Orkney Islands.
13. Orkney to Shetland would require a tunnel. A challenge, but it is shallower than the world's deepest road tunnel and it would be the longest ever built (Rogfats in Norway currently being built, will be 17 miles long. If the tunnel joined up with Fairisle it would be about two 30 mile tunnels.

There we go, 12, possibly 13 steps to a prosperous and open Scotland with the elimination of CalMac to boot.

It will never happen, as the UK debt is too high and major contraction in country finances is required for well reported reasons.