Wightlink has announced that it will offer later sailings on its Yarmouth – Lymington route after ‘listening to customer feedback’.
The cross-Solent travel operator has also confirmed that late-evening FastCat foot passenger sailings between Portsmouth Harbour and Ryde Pier Head will continue to run all year.
Islanders returning home late in the evening from Portsmouth Harbour can benefit from FastCat departures from the mainland at 21:45 and 22:45 throughout the year.
There will be later evening sailings between Lymington and Yarmouth at weekends, starting Friday 5th January 2024. This last ferry (21:05 from Lymington, returning from Yarmouth at 21:50) is scheduled on Fridays and Mondays all year. There will be additional later sailings on Saturday and Sunday from the start of the summer timetable on Monday 25th March 2024.
To accommodate the revised evening schedule, an extra crew of 10 has been hired and the first sailing from Lymington re-timed to 06:05, 7 days a week, starting Tuesday 2nd January 2024. There has been consultation with Wightlink’s customers who usually travel at this time of the day.
Keith Greenfield, Wightlink’s Chief Executive, says:
“I am really pleased we have found a way to introduce later sailings between Yarmouth and Lymington at weekends to support people who live or work in the West Wight. This has been a frequent request from regular travellers.”
Keith Greenfield, Wightlink’s Chief Executive, Can promise anything he wants, early morning late evening … but can he promise to operate a better service, improved reliability, affordable for all. My guess is not .. In the last 15 years the service has deteriorated badly .. and is not a trusted service provider anymore .
So this decision proves that Wightlink does listen to the requests of its customers?
Surely now it is only a matter of time before they herald their intent to bring extortionate pricing under control, improve reliability, stop falsifying their efficiency reports, allow greater flexibility for travellers and above all…..put their customers needs first!
I can hardly wait!
They’re moving the 0620 to 0700. So I’m going to be late for work every morning as I need to be on site at 0730. Not only that but college students will will have to get the 0700 or the 0905. Been getting this boat for years and all wightlink are doing is making it harder for the commuter and the working people. Stuff the holiday makers, they can get a boat as and when it’s offered.
Absolutely diabolical what wightlink are doing. Protests are currently being planned by a number of regular 0620 commuters