CalMac celebrates 'full normality' after months of major ferry breakdown disruption
Isle of Lewis returns while Alfred to become spare vessel to cover emergencies
CalMac will return to “full normality” for the first time in months when the last of its broken-down ferries returns to service on Saturday two weeks ahead of schedule, the operator has announced.
The company has also won agreement to extend the charter of catamaran ferry Alfred for another five months until October, which should give it a spare vessel to cover further breakdowns.
Isle of Lewis, which can carry 970 passengers and 95 cars, has been out of action since February for its annual overhaul followed by lengthy steelwork repairs.
Repairs had not been expected to be completed until the end of the month, but the ship will now operate on the Stornoway-Ullapool route before returning to its normal service between Oban and Barra on Thursday.
The vessel was en route from Aberdeen to Stornoway on Friday afternoon. CalMac said its exhaust “requires investigation on arrival” and it would confirm whether sailings would operate by 7am on Saturday.
The ferry’s planned return follows Hebrides, which is almost as large, resuming sailings on Wednesday between Harris, North Uist and Skye after more than three weeks of unplanned repairs.
That in turn enabled several other vessels which had been shuffled around the network to return to their normal routes.
Last week, Isle of Arran returned after six weeks of repairs, while last month up to ten ferries - nearly one third of its fleet - were out of action at the same time.
CalMac chief executive Duncan Mackison said the UK’s biggest ferry operator could now “plan ahead with a level of confidence”.
However, he told The Scotsman last week that the company would remain “on the edge” of further major disruption until three further new ferries arrive from Turkey by the beginning of next year.
The first of four, Isle of Islay, entered service to Islay in March but CalMac is also still waiting for the Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow to complete Glen Rosa, which is not due until the end of the year.
All of CalMac’s major vessels will be back in operation when Finlaggan returns to the Islay route on Wednesday after its scheduled annual overhaul.
Mr Mackison said: “Earlier this week, we restored normal service levels to Coll, Colonsay, Mull, South Uist and Tiree with the return of Hebrides.
“Now, with Isle of Lewis returning from repairs two weeks ahead of schedule, we can plan ahead with a level of confidence.”
CalMac said Alfred would remain on the Troon-Brodick route while Caledonian Isles continued to operate between Ardrossan and Brodick.
Mr Mackison said: “We are delighted to have Alfred staying with us until the end of our summer timetable in October and, when all major units are available, we will have a resilience vessel throughout the peak summer months.
“Having a resilience vessel enables us to respond to any technical breakdowns quickly and to trial different vessels in different ports and better understand what can operate where.
“This allows us to make improvements to which vessels provide cover during our annual maintenance programme each winter and therefore improve the quality of service we offer island communities."
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