Ferry Terminal News

A new environmentally friendly electric ferry service is planned to launch in Halifax, Canada.The province of Nova Scotia, along with the federal government and Halifax Regional Municipality, announced on March 4 a joint investment to build the Mill Cove Ferry Service, which will include five fully electric ferries, two terminals and a maintenance facility. All-electric propulsion, which slashes vessel emissions, noise and vibration, has been taking off in the ferry industry as the operational profile for these vessels—often including frequent…

Because there are so many different kinds of passenger vessels, the critical topic of passenger safety can sometimes appear as a set of niche topics, each one just distantly connected to another. After all, passengers aboard a cruise ship in the Caribbean face safety issues that are much different than a commuter going from Jersey City to Manhattan or a tourist crossing from the Mukilteo, Wash. ferry terminal to Whidbey Island or a family on a fishing vessel in Miami.Importantly, though, for passenger vessel operators, a commitment to safety is not siloed.

Fatigue and complacency led to a Washington State Ferries passenger and car ferry striking a mooring structure, or dolphin, at a Seattle ferry terminal last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday. The contact resulted in $10.3 million in damages to the vessel and $300,000 in damages to the dolphin.The Cathlamet had crossed the Puget Sound with 94 people on board and was approaching the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal on July 28, 2022, when it struck the ferry terminal dolphin.

Washington State Ferries has tapped local shipyard Vigor to convert up to three of its Jumbo Mark II class ferries to low-emission hybrid-electric power.Vigor's $150 million winning bid for the contract came in about $16 million under the second place bid from another Washington shipyard, but was still approximately $30 million above the state’s $120 million estimate for the project. Vigor has been awarded approximately $100 million for the conversion of two vessels, with a fixed-price option to convert the third vessel in 2025.WSF…

City-run ferry operations have been relaunched from Jersey City’s southernmost coast in an effort to close transit gaps and create more affordable and efficient transportation options for low- and middle-income residents outside of the downtown area. Ferry service from and to the Port Liberte terminal shut down at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020. Jersey City Mayor Steven M. Fulop's administration recently acquired the ferry terminal to take an active role in subsidizing ferry rates for residents traveling to and from New York City.

New York Waterway on Monday christened its new vessel Arthur E. Imperatore, named in honor of the company's late founder. The vessel will provide scenic tours of New York Harbor in addition to commuter transportation.Built locally by Yank Marine in Tuckahoe, N.J., the Arthur E. Imperatore is a brand new, low-emission 2,000-horsepower, Tier 3 compliant ferry designed to carry 600 passengers. The vessel has a service speed of 21 knots. One of the largest and most modern commuter ferries in the New Jersey-New York Harbor…

NY Waterway has been selected to provide ferry services five days a week on Jersey City’s southernmost coast in Greenville, N.J.Mayor Steven M. Fulop, Councilwoman Denise Ridley and the Department of Infrastructure announced a resolution awarding the contract for services out of the Port Liberte Ferry Terminal, which the City of Jersey City recently acquired.Additionally, utilizing $4 million in State grant funding, ferry fares to and from the Port Liberte terminal will be discounted…

Singapore-registered passenger ferry 'QUEEN STAR 2' caught fire on Friday while en route from Singapore to Batam, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has informed.The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was alerted that there was a fire in the ferry's engine room on Friday, 12:30 local time."MPA, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), and Police Coast Guard (PCG) immediately deployed their crafts to provide assistance. MPA also deployed a tug boat to provide assistance and tow the ferry," the MPA said."All 62 passengers, including Singaporeans, Malaysians, and Indonesians, among others, on the ferry 'QUEEN STAR 2' have been safely transferred to another vessel 'MERBAU ERA' which was on the way to Harbourfront Ferry Terminal.

The agency that provides San Francisco Bay Ferry service has won a $13.8 million grant  to electrify ferry terminals and facilities in San Francisco and the East Bay, enabling zero-emission, electric ferry operations on routes connecting Oakland and Alameda to San Francisco.The California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) grant for the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) will fund electric infrastructure and increased charging capacity to the Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has announced that the second of Japan's first two LNG-fueled ferries, the Sunflower Murasaki, has entered service.The vessel is owned by MOL and operated by its group company Ferry Sunflower. The vessel is a sister ship to the Sunflower Kurenai, which began operation in January, and will sail the Osaka-Beppu route between Sunflower Ferry Terminal (Osaka) and Beppu International Tourist Port (Oita) as a replacement for the existing vessel Sunflower Cobalt.The 17…

Washington State Ferries (WSF) this week launched an invitation for bid to convert its three largest vessels to hybrid-electric propulsion.The conversion will remove two diesel generator sets from each of WSF's Jumbo Mark II ferries and replace them with batteries and associated support systems. The conversion will incorporate energy storage technology and rapid charging of the batteries from each applicable ferry terminal.Siemens Energy will supply the propulsion control systems…

A group of partners aiming to boost efficiency and sustainability for transporting goods in and around London has come together to trial shipping light freight on the River Thames.The non-profit Cross River Partnership (CRP) recently launched the London Light Freight River Trial, London’s first daily, multi-supplier, river freight trial, as part of the Defra-funded Clean Air Logistics for London project. The group has been working with the Port of London Authority (PLA), Lyreco UK & Ireland…

One of Europe’s largest ferry route and port operators, Stena Line, said it has signed a new deal with U.K. port operator Peel Ports to operate its 12 Quays port and ferry terminal in Birkenhead until the beginning of the 22nd Century. The Swedish company has operated twice daily ferry services to Belfast since 2011 and this new deal will see them continue to operate there for at least another 77 years, until 2100.The value of the deal has not been disclosed.Stena Line operates six routes and 12 vessels across the region and Birkenhead has been a key focus for investment in recent years.

A ferry servicing California’s Angel Island State Park will be converted to operate as the state’s first zero-emission, electric propulsion short-route passenger vessel beginning in 2024.Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced it is partnering with the Angel Island-Tiburon Ferry Company (Angel Island Ferry) to support the electrification of The Angel Island vessel.PG&E's Electric Vehicle (EV) Fleet Program helps medium- and heavy-duty fleet customers easily and cost-effectively install charging infrastructure via comprehensive construction support and financial incentives.

NY Waterway announced plans to repower four more of its older ferries, transitioning from traditionally diesel driven units to hybrid technology before eventually operating on pure electric.The private company, which runs ferry and bus service in the Port of New York and New Jersey and in the Hudson Valley, was awarded $7.298 million in grant funding for the project through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Passenger Ferry Grant program with the support of NJ TRANSIT.Each ferry upgrade consists of removing all main engines and generators…

Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), Ltd. said Monday that the first of Japan's first two LNG-fueled ferries, the Sunflower Kurenai, owned by MOL and operated by its group company Ferry Sunflower entered service on January 13.The ferry serves the Osaka-Beppu route between Sunflower Ferry Terminal (Osaka Prefecture) and Beppu International Tourist Port (Oita Prefecture) as a replacement for the ferry Sunflower Ivory."Compared to earlier ferries, the new ferry offers greater transport capacity and convenience for both cargo and passenger transport.

Five people were injured and hundreds more evacuated after a fire broke out aboard a ferry traveling from Manhattan to Staten Island on Thursday evening, officials said.The Sandy Ground, one of the Staten Island Ferry's newly commissioned Ollis-class vessels, was carrying 868 passengers and 16 crew members when the engine room fire started shortly after 5 p.m., FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Frank Leeb said during a press conference.First responders from the FDNY and NYPD, as well as commercial tugs and other passenger vessels…

U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced more than $703 million to fund 41 projects in 22 states and one territory that designed to help improve port facilities through the Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program. Following is the full list of FY 2022 Port Infrastructure Development Grant Awards:ALASKANorth Extension Stabilization Step 1 Project ($68,700,000), Anchorage, AlaskaThe Project will reconfigure and realign the shoreline within the “North Extension” (the area north of the existing general cargo terminals) at the Port of Alaska in Anchorage, Alaska.

A software flaw combined with the captain’s failure to use back-up controls led to the grounding of a passenger ferry last year in New York City, the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday.The high-speed passenger ferry Commodore, owned and operated by Seastreak, was transiting northbound on the East River on June 5, 2021, when the catamaran lost primary steering and speed control to both of its port hull water jets and then grounded. One minor injury was reported among the seven crewmembers and 107 passengers on board.

A new bill recently introduced by Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) aims to increase federal funding for public ferry services in the United States.The “Ferry Service Expansion Act” would boost funding for both the Federal Highway Administration’s formula and the Federal Transit Administration’s competitive grant programs to the levels requested by the Public Ferry Coalition, building upon New Federal Investment in Ferry Service under Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.Specifically…

The Port of Rotterdam Authority and Eneco are going to construct shore-based power facilities in the Waalhaven, Rotterdam (the Netherlands) so that moored Boskalis vessels can run on green electricity instead of fossil fuels.The shore-based power installation will be built on the Boskalis site in the Waalhaven, Rotterdam. There are two berths on the quay at this location, which are both frequently used. Vessels come to the Boskalis Waalhaven location for maintenance and to be mobilized for offshore projects.The intended completion date of the green shore power installation is 1 June 2023…

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has approved the application from Batamfast Pte Ltd (Batamfast) to operate the proposed ferry service of a direct route between Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal (TMFT) in Singapore and Desaru Coast Ferry Terminal (DCFT) in Johor, Malaysia.

A new high-speed passenger vessel entered service for the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) on Monday.The newbuild, Dorado, is the first in a series of four new ferries being built for WETA by Mavrik Marine in La Conner, Wash. Construction on the second vessel in the Dorado class, Delphinus, is underway. Vessel construction was funded through the Federal Transit Administration and the State of California’s Proposition 1B in collaboration with the California Office of Emergency Services.