Isle of Wight Red Funnel ferry suspended until further notice

Updated: Red Funnel update as major car ferry disruption set to continue

All crossings on the vehicle ferry route between East Cowes and Southampton have been cancelled, Red Funnel has announced.

The disruption has been caused by a 'technical failure' with the ferry operator's East Cowes linkspan.

The Red Osprey vehicle ferry (Image: IWCP)

The linkspan is the drawbridge which connects the ferry to the terminal, allowing vehicles to board and disembark the vessel.

This also means Red Kestrel, the freight-only ferry, is also suspended. 

The announcement was made at 11pm on Sunday, and there is no confirmation on when the linkspan will be back in action.

A spokesperson from Red Funnel said: "We apologise for any inconvenience caused to your journey."

The Red Jet passenger service, which docks in West Cowes, is unaffected.

UPDATE: It is understood that Red Funnel is aiming to have ferries back in operation by midday on Monday, with an update expected at 9am.

According to the Red Funnel app, the affected vehicle ferry crossings are:

From East Cowes: 1.30am, 4.30am, 6.30am, 7.30am, 8.30am, 9.30am, 10.30am and 11.30am.

From Southampton: 11.59pm, 3am, 5am, 6am, 7am, 8am, 9am, 10am and 11am.