Gourock - Kilcreggan

Headline route information

  • Mainland port: Gourock
  • Peninsular port: Kilcreggan
  • Check-in-time: Not applicable – ‘turn-up and go’ service
  • Crossing time: 13-minutes
  • Vessel: MV Chieftain
  • Overnight berth: Gourock

Introduction

The Kilcreggan route was historically operated by Caledonian MacBrayne, but the last scheduled service ceased in 1974 (although a charter service to Holy Loch continued until 1995). From 1974, services were operated by Roy Ritchie but ceased when Mr Ritchie died in 1979. To plug this gap, Clyde Marine Motoring stepped-in and, from 1982, operated the services on behalf of the then Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive (SPT), which subsidised the service. As well as maintaining the Kilcreggan - Gourock connection, Clyde Marine extended selected services to Helensburgh. 

By 2006, the Clyde Marine vessel MV Kenilworth was approaching the end of her serviceable life and they ordered a new vessel, MV Seabus, which entered service in 2007. 

Despite the introduction of new tonnage and the operation of a reliable service, Clyde Marine lost the next tender to Clydelink, which took over the service from 1st April 2012. Clydelink immediately discontinued the Helensburgh connection, and thus 2012 was the year in which the route assumed its current form. As part of their winning tender, Clydelink had also promised a new 16m vessel capable of accommodating 60 passengers, but this never materialised. Instead, they purchased MV Island Princess, but quickly ran into difficulties with the safety management system. The service was suspended for a period and, despite the short-term introduction of a second vessel, Clydelink continued to be troubled by breakdowns and poor reliability. 

Following the troubled period between 2012 and 2018, Clyde Marine returned to the route as the contracted operator, bringing MV Seabus (now renamed MV Chieftain) back to the route. It should be noted that there was a significant increase in fares at this point. 

Given the long-term issues with the route and the diminished scale of ferry operations in the SPT portfolio more generally, SPT notified Transport Scotland of their desire to pursue a transfer of responsibilities for the Kilcreggan service. After negotiations, the services were transferred into the Clyde and Hebridean Ferry Services bundle on 1st June 2020, with MV Chieftain leased from Clyde Marine and the crew making a Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment (TUPE) transfer. The timetable and fares remained unchanged.

Step 1: Route Service Level

The table below sets out the incremental ‘Route Service Levels’ which have been developed for this methodology:

Table 20.1: Route Service Level definitions
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 - Kilcreggan route to its relevant Route Service Level for both the winter and summer timetables, with commentary provided in the following sections.

Table 20.2: Allocation of Gourock - Kilcreggan route to levels
Timetable/Route Service Level Level A Level B Level C Level D Level E Level F Level G
Winter No No Yes No No No No
Summer No No Yes No No No No

Categorisation of waters

The Gourock - Kilcreggan 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

The table below summarises the length of operating day and week for the Gourock – Kilcreggan route assuming a 30-minute start-up and close down. It should be noted that the timetable is the same in winter and summer months outwith some very minor timing variations:

Table 20.3: MV Chieftain – Gourock - Kilcreggan, length of operating day – winter and summer (hh:mm)
Day Start-Up Sailing-Day Close Down Length of operating day
Monday 0:30 12:08 0:30 13:08
Tuesday 0:30 12:08 0:30 13:08
Wednesday 0:30 12:08 0:30 13:08
Thursday 0:30 12:08 0:30 13:08
Friday 0:30 12:08 0:30 13:08
Saturday 0:30 10:45 0:30 11:45
Sunday 0:00 0:00 0:00 0:00
Total 03:00 71:25 03:00 77:25

The crewing model on the Kilcreggan route is relatively straightforward, with three crews (six crew in total) of two operating a single shift (circa 12-hours) on a one week on, one week off roster with four weeks of leave. The third crew provide cover for leave etc.

Route specific characteristics

  • This is the only other passenger-only route on the network other than Gourock – Dunoon
  • The Gourock – Kilcreggan route is also one of the only routes on the network on which there is no Sunday service. A Sunday service was previously operated on a trial basis between 1st April and 14th October 2012, and then extended into the summer 2013 period. However, low passenger numbers (1,061 in 2012 and 742 in 2013) led to SPT withdrawing the service
  • The route is tidally constrained during high tides, particularly during spring tides when the tidal range is at its largest. The current vessel belting sits above the top level of the fenders on the berthing face during high tides and can catch, potentially damaging the boat and / or pier. The angle of the gangway sent from the vessel to the pierhead can be extremely steep during high tides, which can make it challenging for the CFL crew to deploy / recover the gangway and can be challenging for passenger access
  • There is a circa one hour break in the service after the 11:52 arrival into Gourock (Monday – Saturday) to allow for a crew lunch break. Moreover, the service is not clockface (i.e., a repeating regular interval between services) across the day, which may reflect the need for additional gaps in the timetable to facilitate rest periods

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. The timetable is almost identical across the summer and winter timetable periods.

Connections

The tables below summarise the first departure, last arrival, number of connections per day and time on mainland / Rosneath:

Table 20.4(a): Gourock – Kilcreggan winter and summer timetable summary (Source: www.calmac.co.uk)
Sailing Details Mon-Fri Sat
First departure 06:41 08:04
Last arrival 18:49 18:49
No. of sailings 13 12
Time on mainland 10:56 09:33
Time in Rosneath Nil Nil
Table 20.4(b): Kilcreggan - Gourock winter and summer timetable summary (Source: www.calmac.co.uk)
Sailing Details Mon-Fri Sat
First departure 07:04 08:27
Last arrival 18:26 18:26
No. of sailings 13 12
Time on mainland Nil Nil
Time in Rosneath 11:42 10:19

The timetable is structured around a single crew day. There is one additional sailing on a weekday than on a Saturday, this being an early morning departure (06:41 from Gourock and 07:04 from Kilcreggan) to facilitate commuting.

Connecting public transport

Key headlines include:

  • The Gourock - Kilcreggan service connects well with rail services to / from Gourock, despite neither service being operated on a clockface basis. In the ‘to Glasgow’ direction, minimum journey times can be as little as 60 minutes when the ferry connects with a limited stop train
  • All Kilcreggan ferry arrivals and departures connect with a 901 Clyde Flyer bus service at Gourock. However, bus journey times are not competitive with rail and thus the bus market is likely to be largely limited to those with a National Entitlement Card or who are travelling to a destination not served by rail, e.g., Braehead
  • All Kilcreggan ferry services are met by the 316 bus, albeit wait times can on occasions be long in both directions. The bus also provides the alternative connection to Helensburgh (and Helensburgh Central for trains to Glasgow) when the ferry service is not operating, e.g., evenings
  • It should be noted that Sunday public transport connectivity to / from Kilcreggan is very poor, with no ferry service and only six return bus services to Helensburgh

The figures below show onward connectivity (drive times) by car from Gourock and Kilcreggan. 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):

As described in the text, onward journey times by car from Gourock.
Figure 20.1: Onward journey times by car from Gourock
As described in text, onward journey times by car from Kilcreggan.
Figure 20.2: Onward journey times by car from Kilcreggan

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. It should be noted that the data for the Gourock – Kilcreggan route is of variable quality because it did fold into the CHFS bundle until 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What have been the key supply-side changes since 2012?

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.

2012

  • On 1st April 2012, Clydelink took over the contract for operating the Gourock – Kilcreggan route. They immediately discontinued the Helensburgh connection, and thus this was the date on which the route assumed its current form

2018

  • After a prolonged period of poor performance, Clyde Marine returned to the route, bringing MV Seabus (now renamed MV Chieftain) back to the route. There was a significant increase in fares at this point

2020

  • On 1st June 2020, the Gourock – Kilcreggan route transferred into the CHFS bundle

2022

  • There were significant disruptions in January and February 2022, which were in-part understood to have been caused by COVID-19 related staff shortages. However, cancellations were also prominent on the Dunoon route in February 2022, highlighting that weather will have been a contributory factor
  • There were also significant cancellations in November 2022 caused by works at Gourock restricting the manoeuvrability of the vessel. This led to the introduction of a temporary timetable and a bus replacement service for certain sailings

How have carryings changed over time?

  • Passenger carryings on the Kilcreggan route reduced by just over 20% between 2016 and 2017 due to reliability issues with the service and have not yet recovered their 2016 level (although 2022 recorded the highest carryings since then, despite the impact of COVID-19). Since CFL has assumed control of the service, reliability has improved, which is reflected in the more recent growth in carryings, which are above their immediate pre-pandemic level
  • Whilst there is a pronounced tourism / day-tripper peak in summer, there is broad consistency in monthly carryings across the year (albeit November to February carryings are on average slightly lower), showing evidence of regular, year-round demand

How has reliability and punctuality changed over time?

  • Route reliability was a major problem over the period 2012-2018 but improved when Clyde Marine returned to operate the service, with further improvements when the route was folded in the CHFS bundle in 2019
  • Analysis of performance data suggests that punctuality on the route is not a significant issue

Why are sailings cancelled?

  • The route was affected by a series of potentially one-off issues over 2022 which have impacted its reliability. However, it is nonetheless evident from the data that the service is subject to a higher level of cancellations in the winter, whilst cancellations can also occur due to very high tides at Kilcreggan. In 2022, 113 sailings were cancelled due to tidal conditions

How often has the ferry been full or nearly full?

  • The majority of sailings on the Gourock – Kilcreggan route carry very few passengers. The Cowal and Rosneath RSM Study found that, in 2022:
    • 13% of sailings carried no passengers
    • 49% of sailings carried fewer than 3 passengers
    • 77% of sailings carried fewer than 8 passengers
    • 91% of sailings carried fewer than 16 passengers
    • Fewer than 1% of sailings carried more than 50 passengers

There are rarely, if ever, capacity problems on this route