Manly Ferry route suspended amid large ocean swells as rain and storms hit Sydney
Harsh weather conditions lead to major disruption in F1 Manly Ferry services on Thursday, with the local MP saying it exposes a big issue for commuters.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Ferry services between Manly and Circular Quay were disrupted on Thursday morning as large ocean swells forced the temporary suspension of the F1 Manly ferry route.
Transport for NSW issued a public alert at about 6am on X – formally known as Twitter – advising commuters to consider alternate transport, including the Manly Fast Ferry or local bus services, while ferry operations were halted due to hazardous sea conditions.
As of the latest updates, some F1 ferry services had resumed, but several vessels remain out of operation as heavy swells continue to impact the route.
The Manly Fast Ferry service, which operates independently of the F1 route, has continued to run without interruption.
This comes after the Bureau of Meteorology forecasted up to 15mm of rain across parts of the city, with a 90 per cent chance of showers and possible thunderstorms, particularly along the coastal fringe.
F1 Ferry services, managed by public transport operator Transdev, have been frequently cancelled in the last month due to rough conditions.
Manly MP James Griffin said a glaring issue was emerging between the F1 and the Manly Fast Ferry, which has continued running “without fail”.
“I think this is a great example of where, thankfully, we have two operators going out of Manly and the fast ferry is owned and operated by the NRMA who continue to operate without fail through the swell,” he said.
“It goes to show, when you have a good private operator they get on with the job of providing a good computer service.
“In contrast, Transdev regularly cancels services which is unfortunate because people need to get to work and having that reliability there is really important.”
Although services are cancelled due to safety concerns, Mr Griffin said the newer class of Emerald ferries clearly can’t handle the conditions between Manly and Circular Quay.
He urged the Minns government to consider this shortfall if they plan to deliver on promises for an electric ferry fleet in the future.
“The ferries have a checkered history… if that (new fleet) is what you are going to do then can you please make sure they can handle the swell,” he said.
“Because it is obvious the Manly Fast Ferry vessel can get through the swell much more effectively than the Emerald class ferries, so let’s not make that mistake again.”
More to follow
More Coverage
Originally published as Manly Ferry route suspended amid large ocean swells as rain and storms hit Sydney
‘It’s a lie’: Hadley on $600b cost of Coalition’s nuclear plan
Ray Hadley slams the claim that the Coalition’s nuclear plan will cost $600 billion.
Undermanned: Paramedics ill-equipped to deal with Westfield massacre
An elite NSW Ambulance paramedic has told an inquest there were not enough tactically trained paramedics available to work on the day Joel Cuachi stabbed six people to death inside Westfield Bondi Junction.