History of Ferry in Timeline

A ferry is a boat or ship used for transporting passengers and sometimes vehicles and cargo across a body of water. Ferries come in various sizes, with smaller ferries that make frequent stops, like those in Venice, Italy, often referred to as water taxis or water buses.

1900: World's Longest Cable Ferry Connects Vancouver Island and Denman Island

A cable ferry with an ocean crossing of approximately 1900 meters begins operation, connecting Vancouver Island and Denman Island in British Columbia and establishing itself as the world's longest cable ferry.

1989: Loma Prieta Earthquake Prompts Ferry Service Restoration

The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake led to the restoration of ferry services in the East Bay, contributing to the resurgence of ferries in the San Francisco Bay Area.

1990: High-Speed Catamarans Revolutionize Ferry Services

High-speed catamarans emerge as a transformative force in the ferry industry, replacing older technologies such as hovercraft, hydrofoils, and conventional monohull ferries.

1995: Attica Group Introduces Superfast I

Attica Group, through its subsidiary Superfast Ferries, pioneers a new class of fast RoPax ferries by introducing Superfast I, connecting Greece and Italy.

July 2000: Opening of the Øresund bridge

The Øresund bridge opened, leading to a reduced frequency of car and "car and train" ferries between Helsingborg, Scania, Sweden and Elsinore, Denmark.

2008: BC Ferries Launches Coastal-Class Ferries

BC Ferries introduces the Coastal-class ferries, which were the world's largest double-ended ferries at the time, marking a significant advancement in ferry technology.

2009: Finland's Extensive Road Ferry Network

Finland boasts a network of 40 road ferries (cable ferries), connecting islands, traversing rivers, and spanning lakes, demonstrating the country's significant reliance on this mode of transport.

2014: İDO transports 47 million passengers

İDO, Istanbul's ferry system, transported 47 million passengers, making it the world's largest ferry system at the time.

February 2015: NYC Mayor announces expanded Citywide Ferry Service

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the expansion of the city's ferry service, which would later launch as NYC Ferry in 2017.

2015: BC Ferries carries 8 million vehicles and 20 million passengers

BC Ferries transported over 8 million vehicles and 20 million passengers between Vancouver Island and the British Columbia mainland, as well as other islands like the Gulf Islands and Haida Gwaii.

2015: Norled Operates E-Ferry Ampere

Norwegian ferry company Norled begins operation of the e-ferry Ampere on the Lavik-Opedal connection, showcasing its commitment to sustainable ferry operations.

2015: Stena Embraces Alternative Fuels

Swedish ferry company Stena converts one of its ferries to operate on both diesel and methanol, marking a significant step toward reducing CO2 emissions and promoting alternative fuel use in the ferry industry.

2016: Washington State Ferries sets ridership records

Washington State Ferries, the most extensive ferry system in the continental U.S. and the second-largest globally by vehicles carried, transported 10.5 million vehicles and 24.2 million passengers across ten routes on Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

October 2017: India's ro-ro ferry service between Ghogha and Dahej inaugurated

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's ro-ro ferry service between Ghogha and Dahej. This aimed to connect South Gujarat and Saurashtra, reducing travel time from 360 kilometers by road to 31 kilometers by ferry. This is part of the larger Sagar Mala project.

2017: Helsinki becomes the busiest international passenger ferry port

Helsinki became the busiest international passenger ferry port globally, with over 11.8 million passengers, surpassing Dover's 11.7 million. The Helsinki-Tallinn route alone accounted for nine million passengers.

2017: Launch of NYC Ferry

NYC Ferry launched, connecting communities like Manhattan's Lower East Side, Soundview in The Bronx, Astoria and the Rockaways in Queens, and Brooklyn neighborhoods with existing ferry landings in Lower Manhattan and Midtown Manhattan.

2017: MF Tycho Brahe Becomes World's Largest Electric Ferry

The MF Tycho Brahe, an 8414-tonne ferry with an electric storage capacity exceeding 4 MWh, begins operation on the Helsingør–Helsingborg route, becoming the world's largest purely electric ferry and showcasing the potential of electric propulsion in the industry.

January 2018: MF Gloppefjord: First of Two E-Ferries Connecting Anda and Lote

The MF Gloppefjord, the first of two e-ferries, commences service on the Anda-Lote route, marking the world's first route exclusively served by electric ferries and highlighting the growing adoption of electric propulsion in Norway.

2018: The Dover to Calais crossing

The Dover to Calais crossing was the busiest ferry route to France, with approximately 9,168,000 passengers using the service.

August 2019: Ærø Municipality Launches E-ferry Ellen

Ærø Municipality launches E-ferry Ellen, a groundbreaking electric ferry with a 4.3 MWh battery, capable of carrying 30 vehicles and 200 passengers on a 22 nautical mile route between Fynshav and Søby, setting a new standard for e-ferry range and capacity.

2020: Fjord1 Expands Battery-Powered Ferry Fleet

Fjord1, owner of the MF Gloppefjord, commissions seven additional battery-powered ferries, significantly expanding its fleet of electric ferries and further solidifying Norway's leading position in e-ferry adoption.

2021: Norway Expects 60 Battery-Powered Car Ferries

Norway anticipates having a fleet of 60 battery-powered car ferries in operation, demonstrating the country's rapid progress toward electrifying its ferry system.

February 2022: Ferry service from St. Petersburg to Baltic Sea cities stopped

Ferry services connecting St. Petersburg to cities in the Baltic Sea were discontinued.

2022: Helsinki passenger numbers decline

Helsinki port saw a decline in passenger numbers, handling almost 8 million passengers, with 6.3 million traveling between Helsinki and Tallinn.

June 2023: P&O Ferries Launches World's Largest Double-Ender

P&O Ferries introduces the P&O Pioneer, surpassing BC Ferries' Coastal-class ferries as the world's largest double-ended ferry, replacing the Pride of Kent.

2030: European Union Aims to Deploy 100+ E-Ferries

The European Union, which supported the E-ferry Ellen project, sets an ambitious goal of deploying 100 or more e-ferries by 2030, highlighting its commitment to sustainable transportation and the growing importance of e-ferries in achieving environmental targets.