Wightlink
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Wightlink (strapline: Key to the Island) is a ferry company operating routes between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in southern England.
Their core routes are from Lymington to Yarmouth (45 minutes) and Portsmouth to Fishbourne (45 minutes), both of which are car ferry operations. A fast passenger-only catamaran operates between Portsmouth Harbour and Ryde Pier Head (taking 20 minutes), directly linking into the Island Line rail line.
The catamaran service coincides with the arrival of the trains from London Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour. Passenger ferry tickets can be included in the price of the train ticket and therefore can be discounted with the use of a railcard. Trains meet the catamaran at Ryde Pier Head station, adjacent to the catamaran terminal.
In 2005 Wightlink was bought by the Australian bank Macquarie Bank for an estimated £240,000,000.
[edit] History
Wightlink and its forerunners have provided ferry services to and from the Isle of Wight for more than 160 years.
In the early nineteenth century, ferries ran to the island from Lymington and Portsmouth. Later, steam ferries operated a circular route around Lymington, Yarmouth, Cowes, Ryde and Portsmouth. When the rail companies became involved they concentrated on two direct routes between Lymington and Yarmouth and Portsmouth and Ryde.
Ownership of the ferries eventually passed from the British Railways Board to Sealink UK Limited. In 1984, when Sealink UK Limited was denationalised, the operating name became Sealink British Ferries and was subsequently bought by the Bermuda based ‘Sea Containers Ltd’. When Stena Line bought Sealink British Ferries in 1990, the Isle of Wight Ferries remained with Sea Containers, renaming the company ‘Wightlink’.
In June 1995 the company was the subject of a management buy-in. In 2005 it was bought by the Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund.
In 2004, Wightlink decided to renew its sponsorship of the Wightlink Raiders ice hockey team
In October 2006 Wightlink announced that it intended to built 2 new ferries for the Lymington-Yarmouth route[1]. It is inteneded that they enter service some time in 2008 and replace two of the existing vessels on the route with the third kept in reserve.
[edit] Figures
Every year, Wightlink carries:
- 5 ½ million passengers
- over 1.2 million cars
- almost 200,000 coaches and freight vehicles
- Annual revenue £51 million
