NAGAPATTINAM: The passenger ferry service between Nagapattinam and Sri Lanka’s Kankesanthurai, which is set for relaunch on Friday, will run uninterrupted for ten months a year, announced the operator on Tuesday.
Addressing media persons here, Sundarraj Ponnusamy, CEO of Subham group of companies whose subsidiary IndSri Ferry Services Private Limited has been authorised to operate the international service, said, “We will provide uninterrupted service for ten months a year. The bookings are open online. We can operate even with a limited number of passengers and will halt only during monsoon and in the event of unexpected weather developments.”
Niranjan Nanthagopan, managing director of IndSri Ferry Services, said, “On August 16, the maiden voyage from Nagapattinam will commence at 10 am and end at Kankesanthurai at 2 pm. On August 17, the voyage from Kankesanthurai will commence at 10 am and end at Nagapattinam. From August 18 onwards, the service from Nagapattinam to Kankesanthurai will be at 8 am and the return service at 2 pm.”
It may be noted that the Chennai-based IndSri Ferry Services Private Limited stepped in as the new operator of the international ferry service after KPVS Private Limited, which launched operations between the countries on October 14, 2023, through the ferry, ‘HSC Cheriyapani’, suspended it soon after citing monsoon.
While IndSri took over and scheduled the service relaunch through ‘Sivagangai’ to May 13, it was rescheduled twice citing delay in delivery of ferry and pending compliance requirements before the voyage was put off indefinitely. The ferry service is set to relaunch this Friday.
Among 150 seats available in the ferry, 123 are listed as ‘economy’ while the remaining are ‘premium economy’.
An economy ticket for the voyage from Nagapattinam to Kankesanthurai is priced at $59.6 while a premium economy ticket costs USD 89. For the voyage from Kankesanthurai to Nagapattinam, an economy ticket is priced at $55.7 while it is $80.5, including taxes, for a premium economy seat.