By
Rebecca Gibson |
Incat Tasmania’s Hobart Shipyard is to build six new passenger ferries, which will operate in Sydney’s Inner Harbour in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.
Due to be delivered from late 2016 and throughout 2017, the new Sydney Ferries will provide a regular service for commuters and tourists on the inner harbour routes from Watsons Bay in Sydney’s east to Cockatoo Island in the west, stopping at the new Barangaroo wharf.
“The ferries are a major step forward in the NSW Government’s plans to modernise and expand the ferry network,” said Andrew Constance, NSW’s Minister for Transport.
While the 35m vessels’ exteriors will look similar to the existing Sydney First Fleet ferries, they will offer greater capacity than the current fleet and accommodate 400 passengers. The interiors will also be more spacious and offer comfortable inside seating, outdoor viewing areas and a large deck. Passengers will have access to wifi, real-time journey information and charging stations for electronic devices.
Incat’s 250-strong team will now complete detailed construction drawings and vessel models and plans to start constructing the first ferry in early 2016 at its yard in Prince of Wales Bay in Hobart, Tasmania.
“This is a great opportunity for Incat’s highly skilled and experienced workforce to participate in the construction of ferries for the iconic Sydney fleet,” said Simon Carter, managing director of Incat Tasmania shipyard. “An order such as this, where six identical vessels are to be built, is welcomed by the existing staff and provides an excellent opportunity for training new personnel.”
Incat, which has built more than 70 vessels in operation worldwide, is also building two 24m and two 33m fast ferries for Sydney company Manly Fast Ferry. Recently, it delivered two fast ferries for UK-based operator Thames Clippers, which are due to start service in London this October.