Ilfracombe-Swansea ferry link next year (From This is The West Country)

Ilfracombe-Swansea ferry link next year

7:00am Monday 2nd November 2009

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FERRY operator Severn Link is creating a regular ferry service between Ilfracombe and Swansea, due to commence operation early next year.

The service will be the first time a regular modern ferry route has joined the two shores of the Bristol Channel – creating a connection between one of England’s most visited tourist regions and Wales.

Regular transport links between the two areas have, in modern times, been limited to road or rail travel, adding many hours onto travel times and many more pounds onto travel costs.

By travelling via Severn Link ferry, travel times and environmental impact will be drastically cut – with its swift 34-knot, 360-passenger catamarans taking just 50 minutes to complete a journey which would take around 3.5 hours by road.

Severn Link is the brainchild of Somerset-based marine professional Chris Marrow.

He said: “To my knowledge, there is no other comparable stretch of water in the world, linking similarly populated areas, which doesn’t have a heavily utilised ferry service – and market research has shown that there is a huge demand for this ferry route within South-West England.

"The Severn Link ferries will open up multiple opportunities – not just for ease of travel into the South-West, therefore bringing a considerable increase in tourism and economic benefits - but to also bring the business, cultural, sporting and retail aspects of South Wales into easy reach of those living in our region.”

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