Relaunch of ferry service between Nagapattinam and Sri Lanka pushed again; check out new date here
Earlier, the Indian High Commission had said that the passenger ferry service would resume on May 13 but due to rough weather, it was pushed to May 17.
Ferry service between Nagapattinam and the Kankesanthurai (ANI)
CHENNAI: The relaunch of the passenger ferry service between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu, India, and the Kankesanthurai (KKS) suburb of Jaffna district in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, has been postponed a second time to May 19. The two towns are separated by the Palk Strait.
Earlier, the Indian High Commission had said that the passenger ferry service would resume on May 13 but due to rough weather, it was pushed to May 17.
Now, the relaunch has been pushed to May 19 as the ferry vessel is unable to reach Nagapattinam owing to rough weather conditions.
Tourists and traders who were all set to travel to Jaffna on the ferry service were disappointed by this announcement.
It has been announced that passengers who have booked tickets for the ferry service can change the dates of travel or get a refund.
Notably, the service, was virtually flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 14 last year by the Shipping Corporation of India under KPVS Private Limited, after a hiatus of nearly 40 years. It was then halted after about a week, owing to rough weather during the North-East monsoon. IndSri Ferry Services, a Chennai-based travel operator, has now taken over the operations of the international service.
The direct passenger ferry ship service connecting Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu to Kankesanthurai port near Jaffna covers a distance of 111 kilometres (60 nautical miles) in approximately three and a half hours.
The ferry vessel, named 'Sivagangai' has 150 seats.
Daily services are planned from Nagapattinam, where the ferry will set off at 8 am and reach Kankesanthurai at noon. From Kankesanthurai, it will start at 2 pm and return to Nagapattinam by 6 pm.
The ticket fare for a one-way journey from Nagapattinam to Kankesanthurai is USD 50 plus taxes (approximately Rs 4,920). The pricing structure is the same for the return trip. The price of a one-way ticket last year was Rs 6,500 approximately.
Passengers are allowed to carry 60 kg of baggage on board without charges and can also change their date of travel 72 hours before the scheduled trip. Full refund is also available on cancellation of trips booked on dates between May 13 to November 15, IndSri Ferry Services announced.
Started in 1914 under colonial rule, the service was operated by the Ceylon Government Railway and the South Indian Railway. It was first partially stopped due to a cyclone in 1964, and then came to a complete standstill when the civil war started between the Tamil rebels and the Sri Lankan army in 1984.
Passengers can book tickets on the passenger ferry service for until November 15 here: http://sailindsri.com/
