Portsmouth International Port

Also known as Portsmouth Port or Portsmouth Continental Ferry Port, Portsmouth International Port is a cruise, ferry and cargo terminal located in the city of Portsmouth on the South Coast of England. It operates departures and arrivals for cruise ships, cargo ships and passenger ferries.

Not to be confused with Portsmouth International Airport at Pease.

Portsmouth International Port
Location
CountryUnited Kingdom
LocationPortsmouth, Hampshire
Details
Opened1976
Operated byPortsmouth City Council
Owned byPortsmouth City Council
Statistics
Website
www.portsmouth-port.co.uk

MV Cap Finistere departing Portsmouth bound for Bilbao.
MV Normandie, operated by Brittany Ferries, an English Channel RoRo vehicle and passenger ferry outward bound to France from Portsmouth.

History

Portsmouth investigated three locations for a ferry port at the end of the 1960s, before the current location was chosen. The choice was based on cost and the likely benefit of cross-channel ferries. The site was at the end of the newly constructed M275. Originally built with two berths the site opened in 1976 with the Earl William (Sealink) running to the Channel Islands, the Viking Victory (Townsend Thoresen) running to Cherbourg, and Brittany Ferries running to Saint-Malo.

Ferry Operators and Destinations
Ferry OperatorDestinationAverage Duration of CrossingFrequency
Brittany FerriesOuistreham (Caen)7 HoursUp to three sailings per day
Brittany FerriesCherbourg-Octeville3 Hours (fast-ferry); 4 Hours 45 Minutes (cruise ferry)Summer: One fast-ferry sailing per day;

Winter: Irregular cruise ferry sailings

Brittany FerriesLe Havre6 Hours (Économie ferry)All Year: One or two 'Économie' sailings per day.
Brittany FerriesSt Malo8 Hours 30 MinutesOne departure per day
Brittany FerriesZierbena (Bilbao)23 Hours / 33 HoursTwo return sailings per week
Brittany FerriesSantander24 HoursThree return sailings per week
Condor FerriesSt Helier10 Hours 30 MinutesSix sailings per week
Condor FerriesSt Peter Port6 Hours 30 MinutesSix sailings per week

Future plans

In early 2019, it was announced that owners Portsmouth City Council had agreed to invest £33.7m to expand the Port. £18.7m would go towards developments within Portsmouth International Port. This would include levelling and extending Berth 2 so it could accommodate ships up to 255m in length, upgrading the passenger terminal to provide dedicated facilities for cruise passengers and replacing the 35 year-old passenger boarding tower.[1] It is predicted that the improvements will lead to an increase in the number of cruise passengers at the Port from 50,000 to 150,000 in the coming years.[2]

The remaining £15m will be invested in improving facilities at Portico (formerly MMD Shipping Services), who operate two commercial quays within the Port.[3]

Isle of Wight Ferries
St Faith departing Portsmouth Harbour.

Ferry services to the Isle of Wight, operated by Wightlink, also depart from Portsmouth from other terminals within the city, away from Portsmouth International Port. The car ferry, which sails to Fishbourne, uses a dedicated terminal based in Old Portsmouth.[4] In addition, a passenger catamaran service sails from Portsmouth Harbour railway station to Ryde Pier.[5]

References
  1. "Cruise ships using Portsmouth port set to double as business leaders eye income boost". www.portsmouth.co.uk. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  2. "Portsmouth expecting passenger figures to triple following port upgrades". Cruise Trade News. 29 July 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  3. "UK shipping company announces rebrand following £15m investment". Portico. 1 March 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  4. "Portsmouth to Fishbourne car & passenger ferry". Wightlink Ferries. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  5. "Portsmouth to Ryde FastCat". Wightlink Ferries. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
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