Shields Ferry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Shields Ferry operates across the River Tyne between North Shields and South Shields. It is operated by Nexus, and runs to a half hourly timetable. The journey time can range between 5 and 7 minutes.
There have been ferries across the Tyne since the 14th century, and this is the only service that remains. The ferry service makes just under 25,000 journeys a year, and carries nearly a million passengers a year. There are two vessels that the service uses, the Shieldsman (1975) and The Pride of The Tyne (1992). The Shieldsman was built by Hancock Shipbuilders of Pembroke Dock. The Pride of The Tyne was built by Swan Hunters in nearby Wallsend, and was one of the last vessels built before the yard closed. It was a modified version of the Shieldsman and cost £1.5 million. A new ferry is due to enter service later this year (2007), replacing the Shieldsman, which will be retired after 30 years. Currently the new ferry is docked at the South Shields Ferry Landing alongside the Shieldsman.
The ferries are double ended, and can operate either way, however they typically work one way, and turn around as part of the crossing over the Tyne. They can carry 350 passengers, or a reduced capacity of 250 if operating on a River Tyne Cruise. Usually only one ferry is in operation at a time, although both will be used during peak periods to operate a shuttle service
The service operates from a recently refurbished (May 2004) landing stage on the North side of the river and a brand new landing stage which was completed in 2000 in South Shields. There are plans for a landing stage to be added at the Royal Quays at sometime in the future.
The service is often used by cyclists, as it links the NCN1 and North Sea Cycle Routes. It is also used by commuters as a much quicker alternative to using the Tyne and Wear Metro service and changing in Newcastle upon Tyne. Because of this, A Metro DaySaver ticket is valid on the Shields Ferry. Tickets are purchased at the Ferry entrance which surprises a number of first-time passengers who look for a ticket machine on the landing stage.
