Cost of ferry repairs has trebled in just five years

A freedom of information request from the Scottish Liberal Democrats found the cost of fixing CalMac-run ferries in 2018-19 was around £15.5 million.

By 2023-24, that figure had increased to £41.2 million. Between 2022-23 and last year, the figure almost doubled from £26.6 million.

Repairs and maintenance of ferries has in total cost £147.8 million since 2018-19.

CalMac has faced criticism in recent years over the reliability of its ageing vessels.

On the Ardrossan to Arran route, the main ferry MV Caledonian Isles has been out of action since going in for its annual overhaul in January. The vessel required major steel repairs and is not expected back until next month.

It was the latest blow to hit the Arran ferry service, including cancellations due to storms and the Irish berth at Ardrossan being closed following a dive survey, which meant the MV Alfred - the temporary replacement for the Caledonian Isles - had to operate from Troon.

The Largs-Cumbrae route's main vessel, MV Loch Shira, has been out of service since April 5 because of damage to her vehicle ramps. She remains in dry dock.

Six new ferries are due to come into service in Scotland in the coming years – including two over-budget and late vessels being built for the Arran route by Ferguson Marine in Port Glasgow.

Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said the “old and battered” vessels in the fleet require more time and money to repair.

MV Loch Shira, the main Largs-Cumbrae ferry, has been out of action since early April for major repair work. (Image: Contributed)

“The SNP’s ferries fiasco has left islanders without the lifeline services they need,” he said. “They have been in power for 17 years. There is no-one to blame but themselves.

“This is not just an issue that matters to islanders. People across the country have been shocked by the SNP’s economic incompetence. The SNP have let people down for too long.

“Liberal Democrats want to get the basics right, make sure that islanders have access to the ferries they need, and rebuild our country’s economic reputation.”

Diane Burke, the interim operations director at CalMac, said: “We have always been open about the fact that we have had to invest more heavily in both planned and unplanned maintenance costs in recent years.

“This investment has grown to well over £43 million in 2023, compared with just £20 million in 2017.

“This spend has been essential to maintaining a reliable ferry service to Scotland’s west coast communities, with a third of our fleet of 35 vessels now operating beyond their life expectancy.

“Six major new vessels are due to enter our fleet by 2026, including MV Glen Sannox and MV Isle of Islay later this year.

“All six will make a massive difference to our service, and new vessels will reduce our maintenance costs.

“These, and the upcoming tender for up to seven new small vessels funded by the Scottish Government, will modernise a significant portion of our fleet and reduce our maintenance costs.”

Transport Scotland has been contacted for comment.