Work on driveline issues has been blamed for the Windermere ferry remaining out of service for an extra week.
The Mallard was scheduled to return to service last Friday after undergoing major work including installation of a new engine, gearbox, deep water seals and driveline improvements as part of maintenance work.
Last year a major refit identified signs of wear on bespoke components on the vessel which led to the work which is now underway.
The aim was to minimise disruption by scheduling improvements to take place during low season, avoiding school holidays.
However problems encountered during the work have led to another week of repairs, coinciding with the half term break.
“The scheduled service has taken longer than anticipated due to various driveline issues. We have now fixed these and expect the ferry to be operating later today or tomorrow.” Councillor Peter Thornton, cabinet member for highways and assets for Westmorland & Furness Council, told Business Crack this morning. “This scheduled service should help to maintain reliability during the 2025 season.”
This afternoon Westmorland and Furness Council issued more information confirming final works would be completed today, including lubricating the drive line, minor component refitting, and testing. The engine supplier has been on-site this morning to commission the engine during testing, and the cables will also be re-tensioned following their removal for the work.
