An iconic Shields Ferry is celebrating 30 years of service, having carried more than seven million customers since she was first launched. The Pride of the Tyne has provided daily river crossings since 1993, connecting South Shields and North Shields. The Pride has given outstanding service over three decades, making in excess of 300,000 crossings. She was one of the last ships to be built at the Swan Hunter yard in Wallsend before it was closed.
(Permalink) North Shields Shields Ferry South Shields

A survey is being carried out on the bed of the River Tyne as part of the preparations to create a new Shields Ferry landing at the regenerated North Shields Fish Quay.
(Permalink) Shields Ferry Tyne and Wear Metro

An iconic Tyne passenger ferry will be in tip top condition for summer after getting a new paint job and an engine overhaul. The Pride of the Tyne, one of two Shields Ferries owned and operated by Nexus, is currently in dry dock for extensive annual maintenance work. The 29-year-old vessel, which was built at Swan Hunter yard in 1993, has been treated with 180 litres of new paint from the mast right down to the hull.
(Permalink) MV Pride of the Tyne Shields Ferry Swan Hunter UK Docks Marine Services Ltd

Evening services on the Shields Ferry are to resume from Monday 7 March. Nexus, the public body which owns and operates the cross-Tyne service, said that it was in the process of training new recruits to plug a gap in its roster and it will restore a full timetable well ahead of the busy spring and summer seasons.
(Permalink) Shields Ferry Tyne and Wear Metro

E-scooters are to be banned from the Tyne and Wear Metro and Shields Ferry from Monday, 13 December, operator Nexus announced today. The ban is being introduced following incidents in the London area, which has led Transport for London to review e-scooter use and introduce a similar restriction. There have been a number of incidents of privately-owned e-scooters and e-unicycles catching fire on public transport services and stations in London. A review by Transport for London found that the incidents that occurred were caused by defective lithium-ion batteries which ruptured without warning. This led to fires that caused toxic smoke to be released, which could be a significant risk in enclosed areas. Privately owned e-scooters remain illegal to use in public spaces but are widely available for purchase.
(Permalink) E-scooters Shields Ferry Tyne and Wear Metro

Nexus are working with Newcastle University on a project to reduce the carbon emissions of the Shields Ferry. The project, called CLEANFERRY, has received financial backing from the Department of Transport (DfT). Over £23m has been allocated to 55 initiatives to reduce emissions from the maritime sector across the UK. The Shields Ferry is dependent on fossil fuels and the project will see Newcastle University experts working with Nexus and engineering specialist Royston to help transition the ferry to run carbon free.
(Permalink) Green Nexus Shields Ferry Tyne and Wear Metro

TV presenter Michael Portillo has taken a trip on the Tyne and Wear Metro and the Shields Ferry for his latest series of Great British Railway Journeys. Portillo, who has become renowned for his railway travel programmes on the BBC, took two journeys on the Metro and a Tyne crossing on the ferry from North Shields to South Shields. He was given permission to film in the ferry's wheelhouse with crew members Nathan Williamson and David Kirkhouse. His two trips on the Metro saw him travel from Central Station in Newcastle to Tynemouth on Friday 20 August, and from South Shields back to Newcastle on Saturday 21 August.
The new series is due to be broadcast in the Spring of 2022.
(Permalink) BBC Michael Portillo Shields Ferry Tyne and Wear Metro

The Shields Ferry is to return to a full timetable following the latest stage in the Governments easing of lockdown.
(Permalink) COVID-19 Shields Ferry Tyne and Wear Metro

The Shields Ferry service will resume from Sunday 21 March 2021 with the first timetabled sailing from South Shields to North Shields at 10:15am.
Nexus, the public body which owns operates the cross-Tyne service, halted the service in February as a safety precaution to allow further repairs to be completed on the north landing.
(Permalink) Shields Ferry Tyne and Wear Metro

The Shields Ferry is to remain closed for the next seven days while repairs are carried out at its North landing. Nexus, the public body which owns operates the cross-Tyne service, has halted the service as a safety precaution due to the added impact of bad weather conditions. The ferry service will need to remain suspended during for the next seven days. An hourly replacement bus services that operates via Tyne Tunnel is being provided to passengers while the ferry service remains suspended.
(Permalink) Shields Ferry

A new landing for the Shields Ferry has moved a step closer after £8.8m of funding was given the green light. Nexus wants to relocate the north landing to Western Quay, bringing the ferry into the heart of the North Shields Fish Quay regeneration area, with easy links to the town centre and Riverside Walkway.
The project is being jointly funded by Nexus, the public body which owns and operates the cross-Tyne ferry service, and £5m from government's Getting Building Fund, which is managed in the region by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership.
(Permalink) North Shields Shields Ferry

The Shields Ferry has had a new engine fitted on one of its two vessels.
Nexus, the public body which owns and operates the cross-Tyne service, bought the refurbished power unit from a supplier in Norway.
The Spirit of the Tyne has got the new diesel motor as part of a £400,000 investment programme.
This allows one of the Spirit's current engines to be taken away for an overhaul without having to take the boat out of service for a lengthy period.
(Permalink) Shields Ferry

Shields Ferry services are to be halted in the evenings due to the impact of Covid-19 restrictions on passenger numbers. The last crossing from North Shields will be at 6.30pm on weekdays and on Saturdays, starting from Monday, 16 November. Ferry passenger numbers have been significantly reduced due to the current Covid restrictions, say operators Nexus.
(Permalink) Nexus Shields Ferry