Ferry Holdings has secured the preferred supplier of two new ferries to serve passengers, road and rail for the next 30 years, New Zealand Rail Minister Winston Peters announced.
Ferry Holdings led a closed tender process with six shipyards, and has now signed a letter of intent with the preferred ship builder to start the final stage of technical negotiations.
“The letter of intent is a key milestone in any procurement process as it means the two parties are on the same page for the deal and can now iron out the technical points before signing later this year,” said the Minister.
“The shipbuilder and Ferry Holdings have agreed a fixed price, completion in 2029, and full delivery of our ship specification for 200-metre-long ferries with road and rail decks, room for 1,500 passengers each, and 2,400 lane metres for trucks, cars and 40 rail wagons.
The shipyard will be named once the contracts are signed.