The completion of the second newbuild for the Isle of Arran route is considerably overdue and could be delayed by a further six months until April 2026, an MSP has revealed.
A delivery deadline for Glen Rosa, which is being built by Ferguson Marine shipyard, Port Glasgow, for the Scottish-owned ferry operator CalMac, has been given a timeframe for September this year.
Last month, the leadship of the twins, Glen Sannox, entered service over six years late, but as previously reported, the new ferry is to go off service for repairs on 23 February, leaving the Troon-Brodick (Arran) route to the stalwart Isle of Arran.
However, according to Scottish Conservative MSP Graham Simpson, he has been informed that 852 passenger Glen Rosa (launched April, 2024) may not be finished until six months later — eight years late.
This week Ferguson Marine’s interim chief executive, John Petticrew, admitted to MSPs there was a risk of further delay to the 102m ferry which should have been finished in July 2018.
More The Scotsman reports on the second of the dual-fuel ‘hybrid’ twins, which will use liquefied natural gas. (LNG) and marine gas oil (MGO).
