Praise where it’s due – after years of boats leaving at times that were impossible to remember, CalMac’s proposed new timetable for the Kilcreggan ferry has the great virtue of simplicity.
No more departures at four, 43 or 39 minutes past – almost every sailing from Kilcreggan would leave on the hour exactly.
Sadly that’s where the good news ends for anyone working or commuting from 9-5 in Glasgow, since the only ferry that would get you to the city before 9am would leave even earlier.
And anyone who currently rushes to catch the last connecting train from Central at 1725 would have to run a bit faster and get there six minutes earlier.
Under CalMac’s proposed summer 2024 timetable the first ferry would Kilcreggan at 7am rather than 7.04, arriving in Glasgow at 8.09, three minutes later than currently.
And the last connecting train would leave Central station at 17.19, rather than 17.25, with the ferry reaching Kilcreggan at 18.36, five minutes later than currently.
So overall that would be more spent time commuting and less time for work.
There’s also a clear missed opportunity – the new ScotRail timetable shows an express train leaving Gourock at 8.03am, so surely a ferry could connect with that by leaving at 7.40?
The proposed changes aren’t CalMac’s fault – they are a response to the latest timetabled changes planned by ScotRail – but they seem like an awful missed opportunity, and it’s a great shame that commuters on the Rosneath Peninsula didn’t have any chance to make suggestions before now.
There seems to be no way for the public to comment directly on the changes but Cove and Kilcreggan Community Council has been given the chance to give feedback with a deadline of this Friday, December 15.
The community council can be contacted by email – info@coveandkilcreggan.org.uk .
The consultation document is here: Gourock-Kilcreggan-commuity-consultation-pack-Summer-2024
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