Tallinn is hoping that by 2024, a tram line will extend from Tartu Highway to Mere Avenue via Rävala Avenue and Laikmaa and Ahtri Streets. Rail Baltic Estonia is only just starting to apply for European funding for this project, however.
This will allow crossing the border between the countries without traveling through the territory of Moldova.
RED KESTREL launched on 19 February
After 1 year of construction on dry land, Red Funnel’s RED KESTREL is officially in the water. The ferry is under construction at Cammell Laird.
- Trasmediterranea’s FORTUNY has been renamed CIUDAD AUTÓNOMA MELILLA.
- The new acquisition of the Cypriot-based Salamis Lines, VIKINGLAND arrived in Perama on 19 February. The ship was purchased last January for EUR 4.95 million and is expected to enter service on the Lavrio – Limassol – Haifa run along with her fleetmates.
- SUPERFAST XI arrived at the Victor Lenac shipyard (Palumbo Group, Rijeka , Croatia) on February 16 for a 10-day refit.
- Tallink Grupp’s cruise ferry BALTIC QUEEN returned from Gdansk Shipyard, Poland, at the beginning of the week meaning daily ferry service on the Tallinn-Stockholm route has resumed. Many of its passenger areas were updated, technical maintenance was performed, and numerous innovative solutions were installed for increasing the ship’s energy efficiency and eco- friendliness.
Last week (in FSN7) something went wrong. I was in the Antarctic with very bad internet, and I couldn’t see the mistake.
New attempt:
Some days ago (now almost three weeks ago), the Balearia Caribbean fast ferry JAUME II was spotted in Port Everglades. She offers a daily service between Fort Lauderdale and the Bahamas.
Back To The Early Days Of Ro-Ro
One of our faithful readers shared this video link from the early days of the ro-ro ferries. The British Transport Film “Ferry Load” tells the story of the cross-channel vehicle ferry service from Tilbury to Antwerp on BARDIC FERRY.
Archive footage shows the beginning of transport ferries for civilian use in 1947 using tank landing craft EMPIRE CEDRIC from Preston to Larne, Northern Ireland.
Ferry Shipping News visited Port of Piraeus a few weeks ago and met with Theodora Riga, Strategic Planning and Marketing Manager of the port.
Grandi Navi Veloci Relaunch The Genoa-Olbia Link With ‘Rebranded’ Ships
Six years after closing down the Genoa – Olbia route, Grandi Navi Veloci decided to relaunch the route between Northern Italy and the port at the heart of the Costa Smeralda on the island of Sardinia.
The service is expected to start on 25 May and will last until 29 September, in parallel with the other maritime link operated between Genoa and Porto Torres. “With two routes and 280 sailings, we are going to offer a capacity for 700,000 passengers to be transported between Sardinia and the Italian mainland” said Mateo Catani, CEO of the ferry company.
Interesting detail for the lovers of the Italian rock star Vasco Rossi: some of the GNV’s ferries set to be deployed on the Sardinia routes will entirely be covered by an advertisement campaign for the concert to be held on 19 and 20 June. Vasco Rossi revealed the new layout of the ferry EXCELSIOR on his Facebook page.
Incat Tasmania has delivered a 110m fast vehicle/passenger ferry to Virtu Ferries of Malta for their service between Malta and Sicily.
The vessel, SAINT JOHN PAUL II has departed Hobart Tasmania on the first leg of her delivery voyage and will arrive in Grand Harbour Valletta by the end of this month.
Incat hull 089 will be the largest ro-pax catamaran ever built for operation in the Mediterranean.
Wight Shipyard Co delivered its first multi-million pound export order for a 250-passenger river catamaran to operate for Central Danube Region Marketing & Development GmbH’s Twin City Liner – a tourist service running on the River Danube between Vienna and Bratislava, joining two European capital cities.
The 39m vessel is excellent news for the Isle of Wight shipyard and follows an exceedingly productive 2018. With other successful deliveries to Red Funnel for a second 41m high speed passenger ferry, followed swiftly after with Scotland’s Jacobite Cruises 21m day cruise catamaran for Loch Ness.
As a part of the ongoing development of Stena Line’s Irish Sea route network, the STENA FORECASTER is transferred from Stena RoRo to Stena Line and entered service on the Belfast – Liverpool route on Tuesday, 12 February 2019.
STENA FORERUNNER will transfer back to the North Sea and will operate on Rotterdam-Killingholme.