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Second Scottish Seasonal Service to Close this September

30th September 2015

#SeasonalWithdrawal - A Scottish seasonal-only route is to close on this final day of this month, following the completion this evening of P&O's last Larne-Troon round trip sailings operated by the fast-craft Express, writes Jehan Ashmore.

This final 2 hour 15 minute crossing will be in the wake of CalMac’s end of seasonal sailings linking Ardrossan to Campbeltown (Mull of Kintyre). The summer service served by Isle of Arran was withdrawn last Sunday. This was the third and final year of a trial pilot based route designed to stimulate tourism between these regions in south-west Scotland.

Likewise of the Express, the Isle of Arran also took a passage time of 2 hours 15 minutes on the scenic 'Kintyre' service. As of previous summers, she too added a boost in capacity on the Ardrossan-Brodrick (Isle of Arran) route alongside Caledonian Isles. (See newbuild replacements).

The closure this evening of P&O’s return crossing between the Ayrshire and Antrim ports, has been faithfully operated for the last decade by the 868 passenger / 195 car-carrying Express. The last inbound sailing to Larne will be marked by the arrival of the 1998 built InCAT 91m craft which is scheduled to arrive at 21.30hrs.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the charter of the craft to P&O is not to be renewed for season 2016. Her Argentinian owners, Buquebus, have secured a new charter with Swedish operator, Nordic HSC to run a service linking the mainland port of Vastervik and Visby, the capital of Gotland.

P&O Ferries have said that they are in the process of evaluating alternative tonnage for the Larne-Troon route for 2016. Since the chartering of Express, P&O have cited the economics of running such a fastcraft have changed and that they are now looking for the best type of vessel to service the route.

In the meantime this leaves to speculation as to what direction P&O will take on the future of the 2 hour 15 minute route which has faced increased competition, notably since the launch in 2011 of the Stena ‘Superfast’ sisters. These ships serve on the second North Channel short-sea route between Belfast-Cairnryan in direct competition to P&O’s year-round Larne-Cairnryan service.This 2 hour route are served by a pair of conventional ferries.

The issue of road access to Troon is significantly better when compared to the alternative single carriageway of the A77 to Cairnryan. This road carries the central-belt traffic from the main populations of Glasgow and Edinburgh, yet the Ayrshire port has an advantage.

As according to Ferry & Cruise Review, it takes one hour and a quarter to drive to Cairnryan, so there is still advantage to P&O maintaining a second route from Troon to Northern Ireland. Also that the operating costs of the Cairnryan-Larne sisters are less than those of the Stena's Superfast twins.

Published in Ferry
Jehan Ashmore

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Jehan Ashmore

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Jehan Ashmore is a marine correspondent, researcher and photographer, specialising in Irish ports, shipping and the ferry sector serving the UK and directly to mainland Europe. Jehan also occasionally writes a column, 'Maritime' Dalkey for the (Dalkey Community Council Newsletter) in addition to contributing to UK marine periodicals. 

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Ferry & Car Ferry News The ferry industry on the Irish Sea, is just like any other sector of the shipping industry, in that it is made up of a myriad of ship operators, owners, managers, charterers all contributing to providing a network of routes carried out by a variety of ships designed for different albeit similar purposes.

All this ferry activity involves conventional ferry tonnage, 'ro-pax', where the vessel's primary design is to carry more freight capacity rather than passengers. This is in some cases though, is in complete variance to the fast ferry craft where they carry many more passengers and charging a premium.

In reporting the ferry scene, we examine the constantly changing trends of this sector, as rival ferry operators are competing in an intensive environment, battling out for market share following the fallout of the economic crisis. All this has consequences some immediately felt, while at times, the effects can be drawn out over time, leading to the expense of others, through reduced competition or takeover or even face complete removal from the marketplace, as witnessed in recent years.

Arising from these challenging times, there are of course winners and losers, as exemplified in the trend to run high-speed ferry craft only during the peak-season summer months and on shorter distance routes. In addition, where fastcraft had once dominated the ferry scene, during the heady days from the mid-90's onwards, they have been replaced by recent newcomers in the form of the 'fast ferry' and with increased levels of luxury, yet seeming to form as a cost-effective alternative.

Irish Sea Ferry Routes

Irrespective of the type of vessel deployed on Irish Sea routes (between 2-9 hours), it is the ferry companies that keep the wheels of industry moving as freight vehicles literally (roll-on and roll-off) ships coupled with motoring tourists and the humble 'foot' passenger transported 363 days a year.

As such the exclusive freight-only operators provide important trading routes between Ireland and the UK, where the freight haulage customer is 'king' to generating year-round revenue to the ferry operator. However, custom built tonnage entering service in recent years has exceeded the level of capacity of the Irish Sea in certain quarters of the freight market.

A prime example of the necessity for trade in which we consumers often expect daily, though arguably question how it reached our shores, is the delivery of just in time perishable products to fill our supermarket shelves.

A visual manifestation of this is the arrival every morning and evening into our main ports, where a combination of ferries, ro-pax vessels and fast-craft all descend at the same time. In essence this a marine version to our road-based rush hour traffic going in and out along the commuter belts.

Across the Celtic Sea, the ferry scene coverage is also about those overnight direct ferry routes from Ireland connecting the north-western French ports in Brittany and Normandy.

Due to the seasonality of these routes to Europe, the ferry scene may be in the majority running between February to November, however by no means does this lessen operator competition.

Noting there have been plans over the years to run a direct Irish –Iberian ferry service, which would open up existing and develop new freight markets. Should a direct service open, it would bring new opportunities also for holidaymakers, where Spain is the most visited country in the EU visited by Irish holidaymakers ... heading for the sun!