06/02/2015

£5.7m Ferry Announced For Strangford

A new £5.7m ferry has been announced for the seaside town of Strangford in County Down.

Cammell Laird from Merseyside won the contract to supply the ferry, which runs regular crossings between Strangford and Portaferry, following open procurement.

The new ferry is due to be delivered by August 2016 and will have capacity for 28 cars and 260 passengers. It will share ferry operation on a rotational basis with the MV Portaferry II.

The Department for Regional Development said the new vessel would provide improved capacity and remove the need for a 7.5 tonne weight restriction that is currently in place when the MV Strangford is in service.

Transport Minister Danny Kennedy said: "The new ferry will replace the existing MV Strangford with a new modern ferry that has been designed specifically for this service.

"The new ferry will be built over the next 18 months and, when it comes into operation, will provide a more reliable and efficient ferry service.

"The new ferry will replace the existing MV Strangford which is over 40 years old and is approaching the end of its economically operational life."

(IT/JP)

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