TransLink, Metro Vancouver’s regional transportation authority, has signed a contract with the Damen Shipyards Group for an additional SeaBus, to ferry passengers between downtown Vancouver and North Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada.
The order comes as TransLink celebrates the 40th anniversary of its SeaBus service. Once the new vessel comes into service in 2019, SeaBus will have three vessels in operation at the same time – allowing TransLink to increase service frequency to every 10 minutes during peak periods.
Damen Sales Manager Americas Leo Postma, said, “We are honoured and delighted with this contract award and to continue working with TransLink. Building long-lasting relationships with our customers is what motivates us every day and seeing TransLink return to Damen for this fleet addition project is a pleasure. We are looking forward to continuing to work with TransLink and to supporting their crucial service for Vancouver city-life.”
“Damen has a proven track record with TransLink,” says Sany Zein, TransLink’s Vice President, Infrastructure Management and Engineering. “As the builder of Burrard Otter II that became part of our SeaBus fleet in 2014, we are confident that Damen will bring that expertise to the construction of the new vessel.”
The Damen SeaBus is a 34m by 12m aluminium vessel, capable of carrying 395 passengers.
This new vessel order represents the next generation of the type, as Damen Product Director Ferries Henk Grunstra explains:
“With the previous vessel we had already focused on designing a vessel that was extremely efficient and clean in operation. This new SeaBus will feature additional exhaust gas after treatment systems to optimise its green credentials.”
