009 + Island Express Ryde 28th July 2008
AP188/100s Hovercraft “Island Express” GH2132 is sat on the pad at Ryde Esplanade as 1938 built Class 483 tube train 009 runs along the Pier Head with a Shanklin service on 28th July 2008. Island Express had been constructed by the British Hovercraft Corporation at Cowes in 1984 for Danish Company A/S Dampskibsselskabet who intended to use it and a second craft on an airport feeder service across the "Strait Of Øresunde” linking Malmö in Sweden and Copenhagen Airport, Denmark. It left Cowes for Denmark on April 30, 1984 as the “Svalan” but was soon renamed "Freja Viking” By August 1994 the then three AP188’s hovercrafts being used on the service were made redundant by more efficient catamarans and laid up at Kastrup waiting to be sold. In mid 1997 they were bought by Hovertravel and again stored but this time on the Isle Of Wight at Seaview. In 2001 "Freja Viking” was completely rebuilt and started working for Hovertravel on the Ryde Esplanade to Southsea service. It saw daily use with another former A/S Dampskibsselskabet machine until mid 2017 when it was replaced by newer craft and the Island Express was laid up at Southampton awaiting scrapping or further use. The Class 483, unit 009 is now limited to use as depot shunter at Ryde St Johns Road depot.
Update July 2022.
This craft along with two others was shipped to Papua New Gunea via the Solent and Singapore in 2022. Freedom 90 and Griffin (Formally Courier) were the other two.
009 + Island Express Ryde 28th July 2008
AP188/100s Hovercraft “Island Express” GH2132 is sat on the pad at Ryde Esplanade as 1938 built Class 483 tube train 009 runs along the Pier Head with a Shanklin service on 28th July 2008. Island Express had been constructed by the British Hovercraft Corporation at Cowes in 1984 for Danish Company A/S Dampskibsselskabet who intended to use it and a second craft on an airport feeder service across the "Strait Of Øresunde” linking Malmö in Sweden and Copenhagen Airport, Denmark. It left Cowes for Denmark on April 30, 1984 as the “Svalan” but was soon renamed "Freja Viking” By August 1994 the then three AP188’s hovercrafts being used on the service were made redundant by more efficient catamarans and laid up at Kastrup waiting to be sold. In mid 1997 they were bought by Hovertravel and again stored but this time on the Isle Of Wight at Seaview. In 2001 "Freja Viking” was completely rebuilt and started working for Hovertravel on the Ryde Esplanade to Southsea service. It saw daily use with another former A/S Dampskibsselskabet machine until mid 2017 when it was replaced by newer craft and the Island Express was laid up at Southampton awaiting scrapping or further use. The Class 483, unit 009 is now limited to use as depot shunter at Ryde St Johns Road depot.
Update July 2022.
This craft along with two others was shipped to Papua New Gunea via the Solent and Singapore in 2022. Freedom 90 and Griffin (Formally Courier) were the other two.