The shipyard which built the UK's polar research ship, RRS Sir David Attenborough, Cammell Laird is to construct the first new Mersey ferry in 60 years, in a move which marks a major milestone for the shipbuilder.

Located at Birkenhead on the Wirral Peninsula, the shipyard part of the APCL group, has put pen to paper with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority on a deal which will see the new ferry designed and built exclusively on-site (see previous related overseas shipyard story).

The state-of-the-art newbuild will be designed to harness green technology, with a cutting edge Azi-pull propeller system for reduced fuel usage, along with a diesel-electric hybrid-ready propulsion system. With this feature there is the potential for future conversion to full electric propulsion as technology evolves.

The ferry will also have an exhaust after treatment system which will operate in excess of current UK & international standards to reduce harmful nitrous oxide emissions.

It comes six decades after the last Mersey ferry, which was also built at Cammell Laird had entered service. The vessel will be designed by in-house Cammell Laird naval architects and constructed by the facility’s local workers and apprentices, with a target delivery date of the end of 2025.

The announcement today marks the culmination of a process which started back in 2016 and represents a major vote of confidence in Cammell Laird.

Ferries on the Mersey date back to the early 13th century and have become one of the most iconic modes of transport in the world. Cammell Laird has a long history with Mersey ferries, having built 15 of the vessels dating back to 1836.

The new ferry will bear the hull number 1,395 - being the 1,395th ship built at the shipyard. Other recent ferry projects have included construction of Strangford II (Afloat adds on the Ards Peninsula) Red Kestrel (Isle of Wight) Sound of Seil and Sound of Soay (Upper Clyde service).

Cammell Laird has a rich shipbuilding history dating back 200 years. Its 130-acre site has four dry docks and one of the largest modular construction halls in Europe.

A project to build a new Mersey ferry in more than 60 years has been announced by the Mayor of Liverpool City Region.

The Mayor, Steve Rotheram said that the multi-million pound project will "ensure that the iconic 'Ferry Cross the Mersey' will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come."

According to ITV News, the new ferry is expected to be constructed at the historic Cammell Laird shipyard located in Birkenhead, opposite of Liverpool's famous Three Graces waterfront which includes the former Cunard Line building. 

The work at the shipyard on the Wirral Peninsula would support jobs, apprenticeships and development opportunities for the region in north-west England.

Steve Rotheram said: "The Mersey Ferries are not only a vital transport link between communities in the Liverpool City Region, they're also an important part of our identity.

"But, as the current vessels are older than the Gerry and the Pacemakers song that helped make them world famous, they are becoming harder and harder to maintain and definitely in need of an upgrade.

"There have been boats crossings the Mersey since the 12th century and, thanks to our investment, here they’ll stay…"

Following a consultation process in 2018, feedback received has led to a design which will provide passengers with greater comfort and improved accessibility so to enhance the overall experience on the service operated by MerseyTravel.

More here on the ferry service which Afloat adds is currently served by the Cammell Laird's 1960 built Royal Iris of the Mersey (see ex Mountwood's Dun Laoghaire role) which runs the commuter service in addition to River Explorer Cruises.

Another veteran ferry, the Snowdop (known as the Dazzle ferry) is out of service. The former Woodchurch also from the shipyard in Birkenhead, in more recent years was repainted in an eye-catching design in honour of the 'camouflage dazzle' patterns that were first used on vessels in World War One.