Nagapattinam: The passenger ferry service between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and Kankesanthurai near Jaffna in Sri Lanka, which resumed in October 2023 after almost 40 years only to be stopped days later, is set to recommence on August 16. The trial run for this was completed last week, and an official announcement has been made that the ferry service will start on the 16th of August. Also, ticket booking has started from today and tickets can also be booked online.
Nagapattinam-Kankesanthurai ferry to restart after brief hiatus
The four-hour-long ferry is now sailing towards Sri Lanka with 150 passengers on board the high-speed ship Cheriyapani belonging to the Shipping Corporation of India.
A ship named ‘Sivagangai’ brought from Andaman arrived at Nagapattinam via Chennai recently. The ship has 133 seats in ordinary class and 27 seats in premium class. It is noted that a person is allowed to carry a parcel up to 60 kg and carry up to 5 kg in a handbag. The normal class fare is Rs 5,000 per person and the premium class fare is Rs 7,500 per person.
The service, operated by IndSri Ferry Services Private Limited, from Nagapattinam, connects the Kankesanthurai Port or the KKS Port in northern Sri Lanka. The cruise departs from Nagapattinam in the morning and will return to Nagapattinam in the evening from the Kankesanthurai Port of Sri Lanka.
The direct passenger ship service covers a distance of 111 kilometres (60 nautical miles) in approximately three and a half hours. The ferry service will be operated by a private operator, IndSri Ferry Services, selected by the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) in consultation with the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL).
Ferry Service between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka to resume after 40-year gap
The ferry service from Nagapattinam port to the Kangesam sector of Sri Lanka was initially launched on October 14, 2023, with the vessel Cheriyapani. Prime Minister Modi flagged off the shipping service through a video conference after a gap of 40 years. But it was suspended just days later due to the northeast monsoon.Following this, it was announced that the shipping service would be started again in January. Even then it was postponed.