Red Funnel

Red Funnel
LocaleHampshire, England
WaterwayThe Solent
Transit typePassenger and Car Ferries
OwnerWest Midlands Pension Fund
Workplace Safety & Insurance Board
Began operation1861
No. of lines3
No. of vessels7
HubsTown Quay, Southampton
No. of terminals4
Daily ridership9,000[1]
WebsiteOfficial website

Red Funnel, the trading name of the Southampton Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company Limited,[2] is a ferry company that carries passengers, vehicles and freight on routes between the English mainland and the Isle of Wight. High-speed foot passenger catamarans, known as Red Jets, run between Southampton and Cowes, while vehicle ferries run between Southampton and East Cowes. It also runs the ferry between Southampton and Hythe.

Red Funnel's main competitor is Wightlink whose services operate from Portsmouth to Fishbourne and Ryde, and from Lymington to Yarmouth. The other major Solent ferry company, Hovertravel, operates between Southsea and Ryde. Both provide a frequent service to the Isle of Wight, but neither normally serve Southampton, Cowes or East Cowes.

  1. ^ "About Red Funnel". redfunnel.co.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  2. ^ Companies House extract company no 2404 Southampton Isle of Wight & South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company Limited}