The new ferries, roads and trains coming for Scotland in 2025 - Glen Sannox, the A9 and 50mph limits

A key event a week into the New Year should mark a corner being turned on the biggest transport fiasco of the past decade - and the start of a major transformation of Britain’s biggest ferry operation.

The hugely-delayed CalMac vessel Glen Sannox is due to carry its first fare-paying passengers and, if things go to plan, by the end of 2025 it will have been joined by sister ship Glen Rosa, along with two, if not three, ferries being built in Turkey.

Glen Sannox docked in Greenock in November | Robert Perry

Long-running troubles which will see the two ferries being finished at the Ferguson Marine shipyard on the Clyde up to seven years late have brought into sharp focus the increasing unreliability of CalMac’s ageing fleet by the absence of what will be the operator’s second biggest ships.

One of the veteran ferries which they will be replace, Caledonian Isles, is also due to return at the end of March after an unprecedented 14-month absence for major repairs.

CalMac’s newly-appointed chief executive Duncan Mackison is upbeat about the positive impact of the influx of the new vessels. I don’t think he would have taken the job permanently after serving as interim chief for several months if he didn’t have that confidence.

Mr Mackison will also be working hard behind the scenes to ensure ministers go ahead with their plan to award CalMac a new contract from October rather than put it out to a competition, such as by fixing its troubled new booking system. Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop is still to make a final decision.

Things are finally looking positive for Glen Sannox - and there may even be a wow factor about the ambience of the vessel when Arran passengers get on board for the first time, the way it has been talked up.

However, there must be a question mark about potential further delays to sister vessel Glen Rosa, since all the yard’s recent efforts have been on completing Glen Sannox.

The second ship’s completion date of next September hasn’t changed for months, unlike that of its counterpart, which was finally delivered n November. Expect an update at the end of January.

I’ve revealed an unexpected series of delays to CalMac’s four Turkish-built ferries, the first two of which are for Islay, and as these are due to factors outwith the shipyard’s control such as supply chain delays, there must be a risk of further setbacks.

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There’s also a row brewing between the convener of the Scottish Parliament’s transport committee and the chair of the Scottish Government-owned shipyard, after the latter claimed the man he sacked as chief executive had misled the committee, but said he would need two months to elaborate.

Edward Mountain described that as “not acceptable”, and if he’s not happy with the eventual response, we could see Andrew Miller asked to explain himself in person.

Elsewhere, ministers are due to finally set out how they plan to achieve their hugely ambitious target of reducing traffic by 20 per cent by 2030 with a “route map” that we had expected by the end of 2024.

We may still be five years out, but I can’t see there’s any greater chance this will be hit than the Scottish Government’s abandoned pledges to boost cycling to 10 per cent by 2020, complete its A9 dualling project by 2025 or scrap ScotRail’s diesel trains by 2035.

That is, unless there is a major policy change, such as the introduction of road charging. But that would be very unpopular and hugely politically risky, as Edinburgh found when it attempted to introduce tolls two decades ago.

Talking of the A9 dualling between Perth and Inverness, in the spring, drivers will see the first construction work for four years - and possible disruption such as reduced speed limits - with the start of the Tomatin-Moy section, south of Inverness.

Building work is then scheduled to be continuous until the project is completed in 2035, with the stretch between Dunkeld and Ballinluig next due to start, this summer.

Other things for drivers to look out for in 2025 include the results of a consultation into lowering rural speed limits to 50mph, which closes in March, and the pavement parking ban being enforced in more towns and cities, with Glasgow still to follow Edinburgh and Dundee’s lead, nearly a year on.

The first opening road bridge on the River Clyde, at Renfrew, downstream from the historic passenger ferry route, is due to open this year - but its operators have pledged to continue running.

Celebrations to mark the re-opening of the Borders Railway to Tweedbank in 2015 | Getty Images

On the railways, the Borders line celebrates its tenth anniversary in September as campaigners continue to push for its extension south, first to Hawick. But there is likely to be some further wait for that with the squeeze of government funding both sides of the Border.

That has also hit plans for electric, battery and hydrogen-powered trains for ScotRail, which have gone quiet after being the talk of the steamie in the rail industry two years ago.

However, we should find out what interim replacements for the ageing Inter7City fleet will be chosen - which are likely to be second-hand diesel trains from England, albeit with lower emissions.

Meantime, passengers will be able to get between Edinburgh and London quicker from December with long-awaited journey time reductions for LNER and Lumo to just over four hours.

A change in the controlling interest at Scotland’s three main airports is likely to see an increase in activity, such as terminal improvements at Edinburgh to cope with passenger numbers continuing to break new records.

Major runway resurfacing overnight from the end of 2025 could curtail some flights, and late arrivals being diverted to Glasgow.

The new owners of Glasgow and Aberdeen airports will be keen to see them also benefit from the post-pandemic bounce back in air travel, particularly to win back some missing key routes such as Glasgow-New York.