Wightlink has announced that it will be changing its car ferry timetables from Monday 29th March 2021 in anticipation of increased demand for travel in April.
As a result of the lockdown easing, the Fishbourne-Portsmouth route will increase to an hourly service 7 days a week, with the usual night-time sailings.
Furthermore, sailings will resume at weekends on the Yarmouth-Lymington route but the timetable will continue to be a 2-hourly service until further notice.
Wightlink has not set a date for the return of the Ryde Pier Head-Portsmouth Harbour FastCat service, which remains suspended. The cross-Solent operator says this is because very few foot passengers are travelling at present.
The passenger service will start again ‘when there is greater demand’ with some suggestion it could be late April or even May before it returns.
Keith Greenfield, Chief Executive, says:
“We are pleased to increase the numbers of sailings on both our car ferry routes, including the resumption of weekend services between Lymington and Yarmouth, as restrictions start to be lifted.
“We expect to bring back the FastCats later in the spring when more travel is permitted but unfortunately the number of foot passengers travelling at present remains at exceptionally low levels. Our ticket acceptance agreement with Hovertravel will continue during April.
Article continues below this advertisement “We thank all our customers for their patience and look forward to welcoming them back as travel restrictions allow.”
Oh but as long as you can keep bring mainlandees and there card here moreso on car ferry all islanders get no fast cat.standard dont care about us situ.
If hover has numbers fast cat would.lazy gits
However, wightlink are advertising for operational support staff at ryde and portsmouth harbour on their website, for summer 2021, starting april until september.
Funny that Wightlink are increasing their sailings at the start of the Easter holidays although there won’t be any accommodation open until the 12th April, – no pubs, restaurants etc. So thank you Wightlink for encouraging people to break the law like you helped them do in December when we had the last influx and spike. Profits rule!
stay at home message from the government ends on the 29th March – we will see far more day trippers coming for easter – there is no law against travelling to the island
You only have to drive along the Military Road now to see the numbers of caravans and motorhomes thete are at one of the sites.
Again Wightlink ignoring the needs of lslanders who use the fastcat for work daily. What a surprise they are putting on more sailings for the Easter holidays,even though accommodation can’t open till the 12th of April.
yes – buy a fastcat ticket for yearly travel only to be forced to use the Hovercraft for the last three months – get the cat back on and stop making excuses.
Would be great if they can increase the Yarmouth to lymington timetable to more of an hourly service college students having to wait till 6 for a boat and not get home until 7 or later in the evening
And so the masses will come here again…………here we go again!! Money before anything else. This will encourage people to break lockdown rules, travel over here for the day, have a jolly good time and if we’re really unlucky, they will leave some COVID virus here. Thanks Wightlink.
They are breaking the rules already just drive along the Military Road and see the number of caravans and motor homes in a certain site
It’s a pitty that SWT can’t take on the Fastcat to link up with their services on and off the island. Like it was in the old days of Sealink.
Has anyone requested a Freedom of Information from the DfT as to just how much subsidy has been doled out to these pirates, only to have thousands of crossings cancelled ?