Ferry service between Surat-Mumbai commences operation

The Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) has announced that cruise-based passenger ferry service between Surat and Mumbai has commenced successfully on Friday. The Mumbai-based SSR Marine Services have been permitted by the Gujarat government to operate a cruise liner between Hazira port in Surat and Bandra-Worli sea link in Mumbai, GMB said in a statement.

The cruise liner was flagged off from Essar Hazira Ferry Terminal in Surat today, the statement said. In a release, Essar Ports said it has completed work on the Passenger Ferry Terminal at Hazira in Surat. It added that the terminal has paved the way for a cruise-based passenger ferry service, commencing today, between Hazira Port in Surat and Bandra-Worli Sea Link in Mumbai.

The terminal has been built in record eight months, it added. "Essar Bulk Terminal Ltd (EBTL), a part of Essar Ports has completed work on the Passenger Ferry Terminal that has paved the way for a cruise-based passenger ferry service, commencing today, between Hazira Port in Surat and Bandra- Worli Sea Link in Mumbai. The Hazira-based terminal will also lead to ferry services being offered on other routes in the future," Essar Ports said in a statement.

Phase I of the terminal project will focus on the movement of passengers between Hazira in Surat and Mumbai. The company said it plans to extend the service to other coastal locations in Gujarat. "The ferry service will be a huge boost to tourism in Gujarat. We look forward to contributing to similar projects that will help unleash the tremendous potential of coastal transport in India by using the country's extensive network of inland waterways," said Rajiv Agarwal, MD and CEO, Essar Ports.

The company said the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) had given its permission to EBTL to develop and operate a passenger ferry terminal at Hazira, where the company also operates a 50 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) dry bulk cargo terminal. Essar Ports is a private sector port and terminal developer and operator..