Isle of Wight residents criticise RedJet and Red Funnel ferry reliability

Red Funnel operates the high-speed RedJet service as well as car ferries between Southampton and the Isle of Wight

Unreliable cross-Solent ferry services are causing "huge stress", passengers have said.

Both the Red Jet passenger vessels and car ferries operated by Red Funnel have suffered cancellations and delays in recent months.

Islanders have complained about disrupted commutes and journeys to hospital appointments.

Red Funnel admitted it had "faced some challenges" and had not met its punctuality targets.

High-speed passenger ferry RedJet 6 is only running on three of its four engines.

The company said supply chain issues had led to problems obtaining spare parts to mend its fourth engine.

On 13 February it suffered an interceptor seal failure and the following day tidal conditions meant it could not operate.

The service was also cancelled on 2 February because of the unavailability of crew.

Pam Ainslie is among the commuters experiencing problems on the RedJet

The vehicle ferry service has also suffered technical issues.

On Sunday, the final day of the half-term holiday, Red Osprey sailings were cancelled due to an engine problem.

On 1 February, a ferry was cancelled because of a blockage in the sewage system.

Newport resident David Lovegrove said island residents were "totally disadvantaged" by having to rely on the ferry services.

He said: "The ferry situation has become so bad it's creating huge stress for many people on the island - cost has always been an issue, but now it's the reliability - they are continuously breaking down.

"You've got to plan going to the mainland - if you've got a hospital appointment or going for a flight, you can't risk going on the day. Commuting is a nightmare."

The vehicle ferries take about one hour to cross the Solent, while the RedJet usually takes 28 minutes

Pam Ainslie who travels to work on the RedJet several times a week said the service had been "appalling".

"You never know if it's going to go, the communication is really poor, there's no compensation for delays, the staff don't turn up occasionally," she said.

"It's our only service to get to the mainland - it's just a really poor service."

The BBC understands there are no plans to order any additional vessels for the fleet.

In a statement, Red Funnel said: "We've experienced disruptions due to staffing levels and extreme weather conditions, and our essential vessel maintenance has encountered delays due to supply chain issues.

"We understand that these disruptions have caused frustration for our passengers, impacting their work, hospital appointments, and daily lives.

"On the ground, our team is working hard to improve our port turnaround time to minimise delays and ensure departure times are met."

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