Sydney Expands Ferry Fleet with Two Newbuilds
Sydney has completed the rollout of its new Parramatta River Class ferry fleet, with the delivery of the final two vessels enabling the addition of 136 weekly services on the city's Parramatta River route.
The final vessels, Norman Selfe and Jack Mundey, were designed by Incat Crowther and built by Richardson Devine Marine in Tasmania for Transport for New South Wales. The seven-vessel fleet carries up to 200 passengers per vessel and primarily serves the route between Parramatta and Circular Quay.
According to Transport for NSW, the new ferries consume around 40% less fuel than the RiverCat vessels they replace, allowing additional services to be introduced on the F3 Parramatta River route.
"Passengers have embraced our next-generation ferries, and their performance has exceeded our expectations. Norman Selfe and its fleet mates use around 40 per cent less fuel than the previous RiverCats, enabling us to add 136 extra ferry services each week on the F3 Parramatta River route – a great outcome for everyone," said Howard Collins, Coordinator General at Transport for NSW.
Incat Crowther said the project incorporated its Project Assurance and Digital Shipbuilding services, with the design process involving collaboration among Transport for NSW, operator Transdev, shipbuilder Richardson Devine Marine and ferry worker unions to support the fleet's entry into service.
"Transport for NSW had a vision from the outset of this project. Not only did they want a locally designed and manufactured vessel, but by incorporating the latest digital shipbuilding technology and project assurance processes, they ensured that deep collaboration with partners and stakeholders was central to the project's success," added Brett Crowther, CEO of Incat Crowther.
