#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 The summer service served by Isle of Arran was withdrawn last Sunday.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.