BC Ferries currently deploys 11 vessels on its major routes that connect Vancouver Island with the Lower Mainland. Six of these are decades old and nearing the end of their effective service life. While the volume of traffic has significantly increased over the past three decades, there have not been any additions to the major routes carrying capacity since the Spirit Class vessels were introduced in 1993-94. Consequently, 60% of the vehicles using the ferry on a major route last summer had to wait for at least one sailing. In a bold move to bring this portion of its fleet into the 21st century, on Friday, December 13, BC Ferries applied to the BC Ferries Commissioner for permission to add 5 New Major Vessels (NMV).
Continue reading New Major Vessels For A 21st Century Ferry ServiceTag Archives: Tsawwassen-Duke Point run
Changes coming to the local ferries in 2027, and directions for the years beyond
BC Ferries announced a series of changes coming in 2027, including new vessels for the Campbell River and Cortes Island routes and the next steps towards electrifying the fleet.
“We’ve received approval from the ferries commissioner to procure four new vessels, hybrid electric, and they will bring new capacity into the system. This is great news. In addition to that, as part of this capital investment that will be electrifying, or putting a lot more power into, two routes that are going to eventually be able to run these hybrid battery electric vessels in the way that they’re built. For the purposes of the investment being announced today, it’s just two routes, Nanaimo to Gabriola and Campbell River to Quadra that will be serviced with this capacity to actually run these vessels in their electric form,” explained Nicolas Jimenez, CEO of BC Ferries.
Continue reading Changes coming to the local ferries in 2027, and directions for the years beyond