New vessels will include 200 passenger capacity after transport bosses select ‘freighter-flex’ as preferred option
Transport bosses have selected new “freighter-flex” designs as their preferred option – paving the way for a big increase in passenger capacity to and from the Northern Isles.
Officials from Transport Scotland confirmed today (Tuesday) that the two replacement NorthLink freight vessels would be larger, faster and include capacity for up to 200 passengers on board.
They are hoped to enter service in early 2029.
The so-called freighter-flex designs have been discussed at length by forum members over the past two years - with hopes the passenger element would ease pressure on the Hrossey and Hjaltland during peak season.
And at today’s forum, the officials were able to confirm that option had been selected following an outline business case process.
The proposals will now go before Scottish government officials and ministers with the hope of starting procurement in the near future and awarding contracts in 2026.
But while the added capacity has been warmly welcomed - questions remain about the type of accommodation on board.
Shetland South councillor Alex Armitage made renewed calls for “Japanese-style” accommodation, which would enable solo travellers to sleep horizontally.
Dr Armitage said Shetlanders would far prefer this to the pods which are currently available on the Hrossey and Hjaltland.
He said the pods were “very unpopular” as people found them to be uncomfortable and lacking in privacy.
The Shetland Greens member said he had been campaigning for more horizontal sleeping accommodation.
“I’ve been really pushing for Japanese style pods,” he said,#
“If its a question between pods and Japanese-style horizontal sleeping pods i think people in Shetland would much rather the latter.”
As well as providing more comfortable sleeping arrangements Dr Armitage said the Japanese option also enabled solo travellers to book accommodation without wasting cabin berths.
However, forum chairwoman Moraig Lyall suggested the debate over pods was merely a “distraction” - as the focus for the new vessels was on providing 200 spaces in cabins.
The latest plans feature 58 cabins offering space for up to 200 passengers in a mixture of berths.
Transport Scotland officials said a lot of work had gone into the accommodation proposals adding that there would be scope to refine the design as the project progressed.
NorthLink Ferries managing director Stuart Garrett took exception with Dr Armitage’s suggestion the pods were unpopular – pointing to the latest customer satisfaction survey which showed most people passengers gave them a rating of excellent or good.
Martin Lee
I would agree that the current sleeping pods on the Hrosssy and Hjaltland are unpopular.
I have three reasons.
First I’ve tried to sleep in one, it’s not very comfortable and the wife next to me kept waking me up because I was snoring, as I always do when asleep on my back. (It was my own wife)
Secondly because it’s always the cabins which are full not the sleeping pods despite the large difference in cost.
Thirdly because North Link staff apologize when making a booking that there are no cabins available before even finding you want one.
To me that shows that North Link staff are fully aware of the problems with, and unpopularity of the sleeping pods compared to cabins.
When traveling down to Aberdeen I often see people I know, often single travelers, as I often am, traveling
without my wife.
I would think a more realistic number of cabins to accommodate 200 passengers would be 110 allowing for a number to be occupied by single passengers.
I would also like to point out the problems on the existing vessels of slippery floors. There are much better less slippery options available.
David B Smith
One that waste cabin spaces is that people travelling from aberdeen to orkney book a cabin
Witch is a day time sailing I no some are not good travlers and wont to get there head down
So people travelling on to shetland whether from aberdeen or joining in orkney to shetland
Have to rough it out
I would niver book a cabin going for shetland to orkney as you no yor of the vessel in a few hours