Does the Falkirk Wheel provide any commercial benefit?

Question

I've been reading about the Falkirk wheel regenerating both the Union Canal and the Forth and Clyde Canal but as an uninformed Canadian I fail to see the pay off that comes from the expense of the Falkirk Wheel. I'm told it cost £17.5 million.

Answer 1

It depends on what you mean by regeneration. The Falkirk Wheel has become one of the most visited destinations in the UK and has brought in much tourism to an area which was rather lacking. This has generated a huge amount of revenue to not only the canals but to the the whole economy of the area.The usage of the wheel by craft is such that any person wishing to transit the Wheel should book a slot so as to guarantee being able to move between the canals at the time required (Weather permitting). The raw usage costs of the boat/wheel would not justify the cost of construction but the whole project has definitely created more income than the costs of the canal restoration and reconnection of the two canals.

As someone who spent 30 years restoring these canals I feel justifiably proud of the culmination of those years with the opening of the Wheel.

I have not looked at the visitor figures in detail but you can look them up yourself on the sites given below or get them from he Staff at the Wheel.

Answer 2

The Falkirk Wheel replaced 11 locks between the two canals.  Due to the timing of their construction 1777-1822 and the differing geographic levels of the areas it connects (Falkirk and Edinburgh) there was a difference of 79 feet.  The 11 locks all used manpower as well as a lot of energy to open the locks and fill as well as drain them.  The operating cost of all those locks was as I remember close to a million and change a year.  The Wheel can do the same job as all the locks and can do it in only 15 minutes(and that is two boats, one going each way) at a total energy usage of only about 1.5 kWh with the 22.5kW engine that it uses.  Compare that to the roughly 30 minutes PER LOCK to do the same job.  I can't remember the exact amount of energy used by the locks but it is considerably more than the Wheel.  The Scottish have noted that the Wheel has really revitalized the Canal and is actually saving more money than originally expected.  It will still probably take another 7 or 8 years to get to the payoff point but it does save two very scarce commodities time and energy.  As we all know both of those items cost MONEY.  So it definitely provides a healthy commercial benefit.  I know this answers your question.