Red Funnel are to suspend their hi-speed Red Jet service, as well as reducing their vehicle ferry service, as part of the continuing cuts to cross-Solent travel in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
It has been announced this afternoon (Tuesday) that the Red Jet service from West Cowes to Southampton will be suspended until further notice from Saturday 18th April, leaving Hovertravel as the only fast foot passenger service between the Isle of Wight and the mainland. However, the Ryde-based company are reducing their weekend services due to a drop in demand.
The further reduction in service means that the Island is now at the minimum service it needs to keep it going.
Red Funnel will be operating 12 round trips a day, instead of 15, to the following timetable:
- Departing East Cowes: 01:30, 04:30, 07:30, 09:00, 10:30, 12:00, 13:30, 15:00, 16:30, 18:00, 19:30, 22:30
- Departing Southampton: 03:00, 06:00, 07:30, 09:00, 10:30, 12:00, 13:30, 15:00, 16:30, 18:00, 21:00, 23:55
The 18:00 Southampton and 19:30 East Cowes sailings will revert to standard sailing types, while the 15:00 Southampton and 16:30 East Cowes sailings will now become “vehicle-deck only” sailings. The Quay Connect bus service will cease to operate from Saturday.
To further assist in ensuring there is adequate space to accommodate any additional demand on the vehicle ferries, Red Funnel is adding 2 additional round-trip, freight-only sailings via the Red Kestrel.
Wightlink have already suspended their Lymington and Ryde services, whilst also reducing the Fishbourne-Portsmouth car ferry service.
Christopher Garnett, chairman of the Isle of Wight Transport Infrastructure Board, said:
“Following extensive discussions last week the board fully supports the decisions by Red Funnel and Hovertravel to reduce their services to the minimum level that will sustain the lifeline services to the Island. These changes follow the announcement last week by Wightlink on its services.
“The changes are slight reductions in Red Funnel’s car ferry service, and the total withdrawal of the remaining peak hour Red Jet services.
“The Hovertravel reduction relates to weekend services only, and weekday services will remain unchanged from the current timetable.
“Hovertravel will now be the sole provider of the fast foot passenger service linking the Island to the mainland, between Ryde and Southsea.
“We fully endorse these changes to ensure the maintenance of services for essential travel during these very difficult times.
“The operators are making incredible efforts on behalf of the Island while under extremely challenging financial pressures. All parties are working closely with the government to ensure that services can be maintained to ensure the Island remains resilient.
“We are now at the minimum service that we have said to the government that the Island needs to keep it going.”
Fran Collins, CEO of Red Funnel, said:
“We have maintained the Red Jet sailings for as long as possible, but with no change likely in the current government guidance regarding non-essential travel, we’ve had to make the tough decision to suspend this service. This is one of the hardest decisions we have ever had to take at Red Funnel and not one that we make lightly.
“However, it remains my duty to protect our passengers, our staff and the Island in this ongoing global crisis and, given the very low levels of demand that are unlikely to change any time soon, this is a necessary step to ensure that we can maintain a resilient service to the island. We have discussed the islands requirements at length with the IoW Council and I am grateful to it for all its support and input into arriving at this difficult decision.
“I am confident that the revised, more efficient timetable will allow us to continue to maintain critical transportation service for key workers and those who need to travel for essential reasons, as well as continue to support the ongoing flow of critical freight and supplies to the Island at this time.
“I truly hope our customers understand why we’ve had to take this decision. We held out as long as we could and as you can imagine, it will be a significant change for us here at Red Funnel. I’d like to publicly acknowledge the efforts of our staff also, who continue to be incredibly supportive and resilient throughout this extremely challenging time and remain committed to ensuring our passengers have the best experience possible. We hope this suspension of the Red Jet service won’t last for long and we look forward to resuming our Hi-Speed operation as soon as possible.”
Bob Seely MP has said:
“I would like to reassure Islanders that the ferry companies are working together to ensure lifeline services continue.
“The reduction in ferry services has been decided following discussion with the Department for Transport and the NHS on the Island. The new timetables will provide a minimum level of service whilst ensuring health and essential needs are met.”
At last, about 4 weeks to late, but at least it has happened.
Well done mark no doubt your get the whingers moaning about your comment but yes should of been done weeks ago
I like how they only reduce it because they are loosing money and not for the reasons of safety for the island, unbelievable…money really does come first doesnt it
The one time being on an island could be an advantage to us has been missed, should have been closed off weeks ago apart from freight. Good old isle of wight always missing opportunities.
A tough decision. ???
We have seen several holiday makers over the Easter weekend traveling on Red Funnel… It’s a disgrace
Careful, you’ll have the ‘rights’ people complaining about stopping people from exercising their *right* to come here is dictating and interfering with their God-given *right* to do exactly as they please, no matter who might get hurt in the process. Obviously, I agree with you,And yes the ferries should have been stopped weeks ago for everything except freight and key workers.
Unfortunately many people don’t realise that emergency workers are still using the ferries to commute to work. Emergency workers still work weekends and those shifts are 12 hours long, making it now impossible to travel with hovertravel. By looking at the report I assume “Department of transport” and “NHS on the Island” may not of considered that. My subjective opinion of cutting services is purely down for profit reasons only, otherwise ferry operators could have kept their normal services operating and simply check the credentials of those using their service instead of simply having a sign outside their door.
Normal services are really not needed as it involve too many staff numbers who couldn’t practice social distancing and there are still ferries for key workers available. As they aren’t checking travellers too many others would be using them still.
Same staff working, just shorter hours. Less ferries = more people per trip and less able to distance from other commuters. Hovertravel aren’t checking who’s travelling, just have a sign outside saying “essential travel only”
The ferry companies have to realise some workers can’t be Furloughed and are expected to still be at work on the Mainland and vice-versa. Whilst their bosses can be sympathetic to lateness etc, they still have businesses to run. The ferry companies are meant to be providing a service. But as usual it’s £notes over people. When someone needs to be urgently transported to Southampton From St Mary’s, and the air ambulance is busy, what good is a skeleton service? Nationalise all 3 firms, make them not for profit, and any surplus gets re invested in island services. They charge too much as it is, dissuading many people from the island in normal times as a holiday destination. In 2018 Red funnel had gross profits of £21.6 Million disgusting!!!!!!
Very well said, Sadly these companies don’t care about their staff or customers, only £notes in their offshore accounts. Before the Corona crisis, it seemed to be a weekly event, whereby an essential member of the crew or technical fault was a given reason. This is code for the 7pm sailing is not busy enough to warrant running, lets cancel it and inconvenience everyone by putting them on the 8pm to save a few £££. I just watched South today, there is a Ryde fireman who works in I think it was Basingstoke, He now has to get up at 3.30am to get to work for 9am, finishes at 6pm,has to wait for the 9pm sailing, and won’t be back to see his family till at least 10:30. Then eat sleep repeat. Nationalise the ferries now, and plough the profits back into the island. We don’t need mega ships, several smaller ferries running at a more regular service would work. Then if there is truly a technical failure, the service is resilient, as you have spare ferries to cover. Utter disgrace. As for not checking peoples credentials before boarding, Shame On You Red Funnel & S****Link.
About bloody time. Hope any key workers haven’t been inconvenienced too much.