Transport / Bergen sailings ‘certainly not’ being considered, Transport Scotland clarifies
SAILINGS to the Norwegian city of Bergen are “not being considered” as part of the next contract for the Northern Isles ferries at present, a senior transport figure has said.
Green councillor Alex Armitage had asked whether a service to Bergen could be introduced when the new Northern Isles ferry contract comes into effect in 2028.
But Transport Scotland’s senior transport planner David Torrance said that was not something they were considering as part of those discussions.
Armitage said there would be demand in Shetland for service to Norway, and he encouraged them to bring that to the table.
Associate transport planning director David Laing said they would pass the feedback on.
After media reports that a Shetland-Bergen link could be in the pipeline, Transport Scotland clarified that was not the case.
It told Shetland News on Tuesday night its representatives “certainly did not say” that a Shetland to Bergen sailing could be considered as part of the new ferry contract.
Transport Scotland officials were attending Tuesday’s external transport forum, where they provided an update on plans for two new freighter-flex ferries.
A contract to build the vessels for the Northern Isles route is hoped to go out for procurement shortly, they said.
Transport Scotland hopes to award the contract for the two vessels, which could potentially hold up to 200 passengers as well as freight, in the early part of 2026.
The first vessel would then be delivered – if on time – in early 2029, with the second ferry following shortly afterwards.
The ferries would be able to operate either as full-freight vessels, with room for just 12 passengers, or as passenger ships – offering capacity for 200 people.
Torrance said an outline business case had now been presented to Scottish ministers.
Questions were again asked about whether the emphasis will be on cabins or pods within the new vessels, with Armitage advocating once more for Japanese-style horizontal sleeping pods.
He said too many Shetlanders have had the experience of “roughing it” on the ferries, and said the horizontal pods would better suit solo travellers who might not want to take up a four-berth cabin to themselves.
Laing said there had been a good amount of interest in the Northern Isles ferry contract, which expires on 30 June 2028.
Serco was selected as the preferred bidder when the contract last became available in September 2019, signing a £450 million deal to deliver the service over a six-year period.
The company said at the time that Scottish ministers would have the option to extend the contract for a further two years at a further cost of £160 million.
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