Today in the Vashon Island Beachcomber, Seattle, USA:

Washington State Ferries (WSF) has dropped its COVID-era ferry restoration plan and now says full, lasting restoration on all of its routes will likely have to wait until the agency can get its first new ferries — at least 2028. Even though new vessels are projected to begin arriving in 2028, “full, permanent service restoration may be gradual and will remain dependent on vessel availability,” the new WSF plan says.

In 2023, Washington State USA, had a GDP of $672 billion¹. Scotland’s GDP was $218 billion², not even a third.

Despite that CalMac runs more than 500 sailings per day to 50 locations at 95% reliability³ with vessels averaging 24 years old⁴ and prices subsidised

WSF operates 21 vessels to 20 locations. For WSF, the average age is not published but 11 of the 21 are over 40 years old.^5. 

The Scottish Government subsidy to make prices affordable to all, is £29.80 per journey For WSF, subsidy data per journey is not available but a 15 minute crossing from Vashon Island to Seattle costs $27 or £22 while a comparable crossing from Largs to Cumbrae is £13.90.

Sources:

1. https://www.statista.com/statistics/188145/gdp-of-the-us-federal-state-of-washington-since-1997/#:~:text=In%202023%2C%20the%20real%20gross,at%20641.14%20billion%20U.S.%20dollars.
2. https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossdomesticproductgdp/bulletins/regionaleconomicactivitybygrossdomesticproductuk/1998to2021#gross-domestic-product-by-uk-country-and-region
3. https://www.calmac.co.uk/calmac-performance-data-browser
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferry_Fiasco_(Scotland)#:~:text=Delays%20and%20cancellations%20in%20recent,their%20vessels%20being%2024%20years.
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_State_Ferries