Rising ferry fares for Strangford and Rathlin services

Ferry fares are set to rise on Strangford Lough and Rathlin Island routes from next month.

On 1 February, fares on the publicly-funded ferry routes between Strangford–Portaferry and Ballycastle–Rathlin Island will rise by 4-7%, depending on the route.

This is the third year in a row that the fares have increased, with previous years having seen rises of up to 30%.

The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) said the increase is in line with inflation and said it is "supportive of both services and provides an ongoing subsidy for the ferry services, so that fares can be kept as low as possible".

It added that additional revenue generated from new fares will part fund increases in operational costs.

"The Department will be required to continue to subsidise both services, which amounts to over £2m this year," said the DfI.

Some ferry users have told BBC NI that these increases will impact commuters, sports teams, school pupils, businesses and healthcare.

Some of the changes include:

• The Rathlin Ferry will increase from £8 to £8.40 for a single ticket for an adult, and a child ticket increasing from £4 to £4.20

• The Strangford-Portaferry route will increase for a foot passenger from £1.30 to £1.40 for an adult, however, the child fare will remain unchanged

• The car fare will increase from £7.70 to £8

Some ferry users have told BBC NI that these increases will impact commuters, sports teams, school pupils, businesses and healthcare.

Naoimi McNally regularly uses the Portaferry service, which connects the southern tip of the peninsula to Strangford Village near Downpatrick, to visit family and local services.

The journey across the lough by boat is about a mile. By car it is almost 46 miles.

In 2024, the service was suspended for five weeks to allow for essential works to slipways, costing an estimated £300,000.

McNally feels the most recent price increase is excessive, noting that fares had already increased in recent years.

The upcoming fare change comes after a previous hike in 2024, when a single journey increased by 30%.

"It seems to be happening quite frequently, it felt like it happened a few months back," she said.

While she acknowledged previous increases were "justified with everything going up", she now thinks "it's taking the mick a little bit".

"It has already stopped us a little bit from getting the car trip over," she explained.

"The foot passenger rate is still fairly reasonable, but the car is a little bit excessive for the length of the journey that you are actually paying for."

Naomi McCallum, from Eden Beauty in Portaferry, also expressed concern about how it will affect her customers negatively.

"It will affect me slightly in regards to my clients who come over on foot," she said.

"I don't think it will be as pricey if you were taking the car back and forth.

But yes, it will have an impact on my business, and I suppose my family life."

Some locals use the ferry to travel for appointments at Downe Hospital.

"I would be annoyed if I'm heading over to [the hospital] and have to pay a bit more than normal," McCallum said.

Her daughter plays for a local sports team, she added, and she expects it will affect the players who use the ferry on match days.

"Where does the money come from for them?"

Local SDLP councillor Joe Boyle, who is chairperson of the Strangford Lough Ferry Service Working Group, said he is "disappointed to hear of these proposed price increases".

"It is yet another increase to the normal household budget that is becoming less and less as the public grapple with everything else from fuel, heating oil, food," he said.

Locals will now face an increased fare "with no insight" as to how long it will be in place "before yet another increase is imposed upon an already struggling customer base".

Boyle also expressed his frustration at the context of the rise in fares since 2024.

"The ferry increase that we are dealing with is small, is minimum, at this point in time," he acknowledged.

"But in the last 12 to 15 months we have actually had a 40% increase in fares, which is quite significant across the board for ferry services."

The standard single passenger fare between Strangford and Portaferry in 2024 increased from £1 to £1.30, and a standard single car fare increasing from £5.80 to £7.70.