TAMAR Crossings has warned customers of an extended period of reduced resilience on the Torpoint ferry service as essential maintenance and upgrade works are carried out throughout September and October.

The service is expected to operate with just two ferries instead of three until the end of October, with major work planned on both Tamar II and Plym II, as well as improvements to the ferry gantry and slipways.

The announcement comes as the service is already operating with two ferries while staffing issues are addressed.

Tamar Crossings says the planned engineering works are separate from the recent staffing disruption, but acknowledges customers will experience both as part of a prolonged period of reduced service capacity.

The first major job will see Tamar II withdrawn from service from September 8 for a 40,000-hour engine overhaul.

Specialist engineers and contractors from Darthaven will carry out inspections, servicing and engineering work, with the ferry expected to return to service on September 18.

Tamar II will remain moored in deep water at Torpoint while the work is carried out.

Attention will then turn to Plym II, which is due to be taken out of service from September 21 for an extensive upgrade to its Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) and gantry.

The IPMS controls and monitors many of the vessel’s key engineering, safety and auxiliary systems.

Tamar Crossings says the existing system has been in operation for more than 20 years and is now obsolete and unsupported by its manufacturer.

As a result, replacement parts, software updates and technical support are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain, while faults are becoming more frequent and recovery times longer.

The ferry operator says upgrading the system now will reduce the risk of more serious failures and unplanned disruption in the future.

Plym II is expected to remain out of operational service until near the end of October, depending on progress with the gantry and slipway works.

Keeping the vessel at Torpoint means the work can be carried out without towing it to another port, which Tamar Crossings says would result in a significantly longer period out of service.

Despite the reduced fleet, ferries are expected to continue operating every 15 minutes from each side of the river during daytime services, before returning to the normal night timetable.

The overall programme is currently expected to be completed by October 30, when normal three-ferry operations are planned to resume.

Ferry Manager Kellyann Bastos said: “We recognise this is another challenging period for our customers and fully understand the frustration that prolonged disruption can cause.

“While this programme involves a significant amount of work across both our vessels and infrastructure, it has been carefully planned so that we can complete a number of essential improvements at the same time, rather than creating repeated periods of disruption in the future.

“We know any reduction in service has an impact on those who rely on the ferry every day, and we genuinely appreciate everyone’s continued patience and understanding while these important works are complete.”