Gourock - Dunoon
Headline route information
- Mainland port: Gourock
- Peninsular port: Dunoon
- Check-in-time: Not applicable – ‘turn-up and go’ service
- Crossing time: 25-minutes
- Vessels:
- MV Ali Cat
- MV Argyll Flyer
- Overnight berth:
- Both vessels overnight in Gourock
Introduction
The Gourock - Dunoon route was historically a passenger and car carrying service and an integral part of the then Caledonian MacBrayne network. However, when Western Ferries commenced operation on the shorter route between McInroy’s Point and Hunters Quay in 1974, it was demonstrated that the crossing could be operated on a wholly commercial basis. Western Ferries gradually expanded their service, introducing new modern tonnage and providing a high frequency, reliable and resilient service across a long operating day.
In the early 1980s, government recognised that the primary benefit of the town centre subsidised service was to foot passengers and that there were difficulties in subsidising a vehicle service when a commercial operator was providing a vehicle service on a broadly equivalent route. A range of solutions were considered and the approach that was adopted involved the continuation of the Caledonian MacBrayne service but with the subsidy to be targeted only at the passenger element of the service. The vehicle element of the service was expected to pay for itself on a commercial basis. In addition, timetable restrictions were put in place (in terms of frequency and length of operating day) to reduce the potential for the subsidised service to harm the commercial interests of the successful commercial operator.
Given the above considerations, and after a lengthy period of engagement with the European Commission and local communities, the Gourock - Dunoon route was split from main CHFS bundle and let as a single route tender in 2005. Although three companies were invited to tender for the route, no bids were received in the end. In the aftermath of this tendering process, Cowal Ferries Ltd (a subsidiary of the David MacBrayne Group Ltd) took over the running of the route, and the service continued as before.
The Cowal Ferries service was latterly provided using a single ‘Streaker’ (generally MV Jupiter), a side-loading Ro-Ro vessel which could access the ferry terminal infrastructure at Gourock and the historic pier at Dunoon. This provided an hourly service each way and was supplemented by a passenger only vessel in the peak hours.
Following a number of complaints about Scottish ferry subsidies, including those paid to Cowal Ferries Ltd, the European Commission decided to undertake a state aid investigation in April 2008. In November 2009, the European Commission published its decision which accepted the justification for the continuation of subsidy to the Dunoon - Gourock town centre route (noting the sound economic and social justification for public support for a town centre to town centre passenger service) but required that: (i) the route was tendered by June 2011; and (ii) subsidy was provided for passengers only. The winning bidder would be allowed to provide an unrestricted and commercial vehicle transport service, subject to appropriate accountancy measures and audit monitoring to prevent cross-subsidisation from the passenger service to the vehicle service.
Following a further tendering process in 2011 (which allowed for a vehicle service to be provided at nil subsidy, in addition to the passenger service), Argyll Ferries (a David MacBrayne Ltd subsidiary) commenced a town centre foot-passenger only service on 1st July 2011 using two passenger ferries, MV Ali Cat and MV Argyll Flyer. The previous restrictions on frequency and length of operating day did not apply once the route became fully passenger only and thus the service now operates over a long day and with a half-hourly frequency through much of that day. The route moved into the main CHFS bundle in January 2019
Step 1: Route Service Level
The table below sets out the incremental ‘Route Service Levels’ which have been developed for this methodology:
| Level | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A | Shared single vessel, single crewed | Several routes in Orkney including: Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre; Stromness - Graemsay / Hoy; and Houton - Lyness / Flotta |
| B | Shared single vessel, with more than a single crew | Uig - Tarbert / Lochmaddy (summer, currently) |
| C | Dedicated single vessel, single crewed | Various 'small vessel' routes in the CHFS network, e.g., Sconser - Raasay, Tayinloan - Gigha etc |
| D | Dedicated single vessel with more than a single crew | Colintraive - Rhubodach, which uses a shift system to offer an extended operating day |
| E | Two dedicated vessels, each with a single crew | There are no routes with this operating model currently, Wemyss Bay - Rothesay being the closest |
| F | Two dedicated vessels, with one operating with more than a single crew | Several routes on the Shetland inter-island network, e.g., Symbister - Laxo / Vidlin |
| G | Two dedicated vessels, with both operating with more than a single crew | CalMac Ferries Ltd (CFL) Gourock - Dunoon route |
Where the table refers to ‘more than a single crew’ (Levels B, D, F and G), this could be a small additional crew complement to extend the day or a full second crew. The crewing model will be described in the narrative which follows.
The operating day of a single crewed vessel is limited to the maximum hours that can be delivered by a single crew within the hours of work regulations and crew contractual agreements.
The table below allocates the Gourock - Dunoon route to its relevant Route Service Level for both the winter and summer timetables, with commentary provided in the following sections.
| Timetable/Route Service Level | Level A | Level B | Level C | Level D | Level E | Level F | Level G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Summer | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
Categorisation of waters
The Gourock - Dunoon route operates entirely in ‘categorised waters’ and thus is governed by Merchant Shipping Notice (MSN) 1876 Working Time: Inland Waterways Regulations 2003 as Amended. The provisions of this legislation are covered in Merchant Shipping Notice (MSN) 1876.
The key stipulations of MSN 1876 are as follows:
- ‘Working time’ relates to:
- Any period, including overtime, during which an employee is working
- Any period during which an employee is receiving training
- Any additional period which is to be treated as working time for the purpose of these Regulations under a relevant agreement
- Maximum working time is defined as follows – working hours should not exceed:
- 14 hours in any 24-hour period
- 84 hours in any seven-day period
- Working time over a full year (i.e., any 52-week period) should not exceed 2,304 hours
- The employer must ensure that any employee does not work more than 48 hours for any seven-day period, averaged over 52 weeks (i.e., annualised hours)
- In terms of rest periods, workers must have at least:
- 10 hours in each 24-hour period, of which at least six hours are uninterrupted
- 84 hours in any seven-day period
- Workers are entitled to 4 weeks of paid leave in each leave year, and also up to 1.6 weeks of additional leave in respect of public holidays (subject to an overall maximum of 28 days).
- Section 17 of MSN 1876 does however make provision for seasonal work, thus facilitating differential summer and winter timetables, as is common with ferry operations across Scotland:
- A season is defined as no more than 9 consecutive months in any 12-month period in which activities are tied to certain times of the year as a result of external circumstances such as weather conditions or tourist demand
Length of operating day
Across both vessels, each crew works a four-week rotation of week-on, week-off with alternating early and late shifts, as summarised in the table below:
| Week | Crew 1 | Crew 2 | Crew 3 | Crew 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Early | Late | Off | Off |
| 2 | Off | Off | Early | Late |
| 3 | Late | Early | Off | Off |
| 4 | Off | Off | Late | Early |
Shift lengths are as follows:
- MV Argyll Flyer
- Early shift Monday – Saturday: 05:30-18:15
- Early shift Sunday: 07:30-19:15
- Late shift Sunday – Thursday: 11:15-23:30
- Late shift Friday and Saturday: 15:15-02:45
- MV Ali Cat
- Early shift Monday – Saturday: 06:00-17:45
- Early shift Sunday: 07:30-20:00
- Late shift Monday – Sunday: 10:00-22:30
- Working hours are inclusive of lunch
The key point of note here is that the shift system operated provides a significant degree of operational flexibility, with the ability to run from circa 06:00 through to late evening, and early morning on a Friday and Saturday. MV Argyll Flyer conventionally commences operations earlier and concludes later than MV Ali Cat. This differs from many other routes on the network, where the timetable is operated towards the maximum hours that can be delivered by the available crew.
Route specific characteristics
- This is the only other passenger-only route on the network in addition to Gourock - Kilcreggan. It is also the only route in the CHFS network that operates alongside an entirely commercial service
- Whilst MV Argyll Flyer can operate at much higher speeds than MV Ali Cat, this is not done in practice due to a 12-knot speed restriction in the service operating area. Both vessels therefore provide the same crossing time. With both vessels also offering a high passenger capacity, they are largely interchangeable in terms of the operation of the timetable, albeit MV Argyll Flyer is understood to be the more comfortable and reliable vessel and is thus more popular as a consequence
- Whilst the Gourock – Dunoon route is the most frequent on the CHFS network, it is nonetheless operated much less frequently than the neighbouring Western Ferries service. For example, on a Friday, Western Ferries operates 52 sailings in each direction compared to 31 on the CFL Gourock - Dunoon route. In several hours across the day, there are three and sometimes four sailings per hour on Western Ferries, thus ensuring that capacity is effectively matched to demand
Step 2: Analysis of connectivity
This section summarises headline connectivity in terms of the number of ferry connections provided and time on-mainland and on-island.
Winter Connections
The tables below summarise the first departure, last arrival, number of connections per day and time on mainland / Cowal:
| Sailing Details | Mon-Thur | Fri-Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|
| First departure | 06:10 | 06:10 | 08:20 |
| Last arrival | 23:35 | 01:50 | 23:15 |
| No. of sailings | 29 | 31 | 15 |
| Time on mainland | 15:40 | 18:00 | 13:05 |
| Time in Cowal | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Sailing Details | Mon-Thur | Fri-Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|
| First departure | 06:35 | 06:35 | 08:50 |
| Last arrival | 23:05 | 01:25 | 22:45 |
| No. of sailings | 29 | 31 | 15 |
| Time on mainland | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Time in Cowal | 16:35 | 18:50 | 14:05 |
The key points of note from the above tables are as follows:
- The two-vessel operation allows for a half-hourly service across most of the operating day on a weekday and Saturday. The service reduces to a single vessel between 12:20 and 15:20 to accommodate mandatory safety drills, maintenance and bunkering. There is a single vessel operation from 22:40 onwards, with the second vessel standing down for the day upon arrival in Gourock at 22:05
- The length of the operating day is akin to that of an urban rail service, with additional late evening services on a Friday and Saturday
- As is common with most public transport operations, the service is less frequent on a Sunday and is operated by a single vessel on an hourly basis. Whilst the service commences later than on a weekday (08:20), the last arrival (23:15) is not materially different to a weekday (23:35)
Summer Connections
The tables below summarise the first departure, last arrival, number of connections per day and time on mainland / Cowal:
| Sailing Details | Mon-Thur | Fri-Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|
| First departure | 06:20 | 06:20 | 08:20 |
| Last arrival | 23:35 | 01:50 | 23:15 |
| No. of sailings | 29 | 31 | 15 |
| Time on mainland | 15:25 | 17:45 | 13:05 |
| Time in Cowal | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Sailing Details | Mon-Thur | Fri-Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|
| First departure | 06:45 | 06:45 | 08:50 |
| Last arrival | 23:05 | 01:25 | 22:45 |
| No. of sailings | 29 | 31 | 15 |
| Time on mainland | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Time in Cowal | 16:25 | 18:40 | 14:05 |
Outwith some minor timing variations, the winter and summer timetable on this route are ostensibly the same.
Connecting public transport
Key headlines include:
- The Dunoon - Gourock ferry service is well integrated with ScotRail services to / from Gourock, with almost all ferry services connecting with a train within 25 minutes in both directions. In the ‘to Glasgow Central’ direction, the fastest journey time is 72 minutes, where the ferry connects with a limited stop train service within nine minutes of arriving. All Sunday ferries integrate well with the rail services in both directions
- Service 901 (the Clyde Flyer) offers a frequent bus connection to Greenock, Braehead and Glasgow from both McInroy’s Point and Gourock Station. However, the operating day is shorter than that offered by the train and journey times significantly longer
- There are a range of connecting bus services from Dunoon and Hunters Quay ferry terminals to destinations around the Cowal Peninsula and Argyll & Bute more generally. There are however only two services which connect regularly (hourly) with ferries – the 480 (although this service only operates circa 09:00-16:00) and 489 – so public transport connectivity on the Cowal side is more limited than in Inverclyde
The figures below show onward connectivity (drive times) by car only from Gourock and Dunoon. This is broken down to journey times of 0 minutes (in blue), 1-30 minutes (in green), 31-60 minutes (in yellow), 61-90 minutes (in amber) and 91-120 minutes (in red):
Step 3: Carryings, capacity utilisation and performance
This section sets out the key route headlines with regards to carryings, capacity utilisation and performance – described in the form of answers to questions. To ensure consistency of presentation, the headlines presented in this section are drawn from the Cowal and Rosneath RSM Study.
What have been the key supply-side changes since 2011?
In order to understand recent route trends with regards to carryings, capacity utilisation and performance, it is important to record the primary supply-side changes over the last decade or so.
2011
- On 1st July 2011, the Gourock – Dunoon route becomes foot passenger only, with MV Ali Cat remaining on the route and MV Argyll Flyer introduced to the route as the second vessel. At this point, the previous restrictions on frequency and length of operating day are removed and both frequency and the length of the operating day are significantly expanded (broadly to their present-day level).
How have carryings changed over time?
- There has been a long-term decline in CFL passenger numbers since 1992, set against overall growth in the Cowal passenger market pre-pandemic. In the last full pre-pandemic year (2019) CFL carried just 45% of their 1992 passengers (circa 299k compared to 670k)
- There was a substantial reduction in carryings on the CFL route between 2007 and 2013, with part of this reduction coming prior to the conversion of the route to passenger only in 2011. This reflected the limited hourly service and longer crossing. There was a further significant reduction between 2010 and 2012, reflecting the conversion of the route to passenger only in mid-2011, at which point ‘car passengers’ were lost to the route. This was compounded by significant reliability and passenger comfort issues, which it is thought led to a reduction in passengers using the CFL service. Carryings have been more consistent since 2013 but in 2022 were only 57% of their 2012 level (circa 341k foot passengers). It should be noted that, following the introduction of the passenger-only vessels, the service went from hourly to a regular half-hourly without any obvious uplift in demand
- As was common across all public transport services, the CFL route witnessed a stark reduction in carryings at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst carryings for 2022 (196k) show a significant improvement on 2020 (104k) and 2021 (132k), they remain some way off 2019 levels (299k), which was the last full pre-pandemic year
How has reliability and punctuality changed over time?
- The Dunoon – Gourock route is subject to significant levels of disruption, a long-running area of dissatisfaction amongst users. On average, 15% of all sailings on the route were cancelled in the year in 2022
- Cancellations are most frequent in the winter months (December 2021 – March 2022 and October – November 2022), accounting for 22% of all services, although this was inflated by the October / November harbour works at Gourock. However, the summer (April 2022 – September 2022) cancellation rate of 9% is not insignificant on a commuter route of this length, and one which operates in comparatively sheltered waters (although note that this figure is inflated to some degree by a breakdown of MV Ali Cat in April 2022)
- For context, it should be noted that Western Ferries’ services are rarely cancelled, only tending to go off in the most inclement weather. Moreover, with four vessels in their fleet, Western Ferries’ service has significant in-built resilience to cover vessel maintenance and mechanical issues
- Whilst reliability is a major problem on the route, punctuality is much less of an issue. When the service operates, it generally does so on time – in the most recent year, fewer than 5% of operated sailings were late
Why are sailings cancelled?
- 42% of all cancellations on the route in 2022 were a result of ‘adverse weather’. Despite being a relatively short crossing, the suitability of the vessels for the route combined with sub-optimal berthing arrangements (particularly at Dunoon) continue to cause poor performance overall. Indeed, adverse weather is the main cause of cancellation across all years for which there are data
How often has the ferry been full or nearly full?
- The majority of sailings on the Gourock – Dunoon route carry very few passengers. The Cowal and Rosneath RSM Study found that, in 2022:
- 5% of sailings carried no passengers
- 22% of sailings carried fewer than3 passengers
- 41% of sailings carried fewer than7 passengers
- 71% of sailings carried fewer than16 passengers
- 1% of sailings carried more than50 passengers
- The only time that the route experiences occasional capacity pressures is around events such as the Cowal Games, and even that is on relatively few sailings