Transport / Northern Isles ferry contract up for grabs as interest sought
TRANSPORT Scotland is gauging interest from companies who may be interested in bidding for the contract to run the Northern Isles ferry service.
The existing contract – which is run by Serco NorthLink – will end on 30 June 2028, with Transport Scotland “currently exploring marketing options”.
It has published a public notice encouraging companies to register an interest in the contract by 20 May this year.
It said the network provides “vital year-round transportation” between mainland Scotland and Orkney and Shetland.
Serco was selected as the preferred bidder when the contract last became available in September 2019, signing a £450m deal to deliver the service over the next six years.
The company said then that Scottish Ministers would have the option to extend the contract for a further two years at a further cost of £160m.
Transport minister Fiona Hyslop – in a letter to transport committee convener Edward Mountain earlier this month – said a period of community engagement would help shape who takes on the next Northern Isles ferry contract.
“This work is also expected to commence formally in the near future,” she said.
Hyslop said the current Northern Isles ferry services were “working well”, and that there was a “strong desire” for the contract to be procured on the open market.
She added that work was ongoing to replace the five current vessels on the Northern Isles network, starting with the two freight vessels for Orkney and Shetland.
NorthLink has operated the Northern Isles route since 2002, initially under Caledonian MacBrayne and then with Serco since 2012.
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