This is the first in my experiment to better use automations and drafting with help from (it’s not actually) “AI”. Although I am not entirely happy with it, and I think I have found and corrected all the hallucinations, feel free to criticise any others you see! … and Guess What? I never managed to get a picture of the Hythe Ferry in the past…..
Red Funnel’s new owners have put the Hythe Ferry up for sale, admitting they’re not interested in running it. For passengers who’ve been without this vital link since August 2024, it’s another slap in the face.
The Corporate Shuffle Nobody Asked For
When Red Funnel bought the Hythe Ferry in 2023, local people were told this was good news. A proper Solent operator. Long-term security. The sort of reassuring words that sound great in press releases.
Then Red Funnel collapsed into financial trouble. Private equity firm Njord Partners swooped in during autumn 2025, promising to “stabilise” the company and focus on the Isle of Wight routes. Translation: Hythe wasn’t part of the plan.
For months, nobody could get straight answers. The ferry stayed shut after pontoon damage was discovered in 2024. Even the pier owner couldn’t get responses from Red Funnel or their new investors. While corporate restructuring happened in distant offices, passengers were left staring at broken promises and an empty berth.
In February 2026, Njord finally said the quiet part out loud: they don’t want to run Hythe Ferry. It’s officially for sale. They’re looking for someone who actually cares about this “historic crossing” – because apparently respecting history doesn’t extend to actually operating the service.
What This Means For Passengers
Let’s talk about what this corporate failure actually costs people on the ground.
The ferry journey from Hythe Pier to Southampton Town Quay takes 10 minutes. It’s direct, frequent when running, and connects straight into the city centre and main transport interchange.
The bus alternative? Bluestar 8 or 9 from Hythe to Southampton takes around 35-40 minutes in decent traffic. That’s assuming you’re starting from somewhere near the Hythe bus stops. If you were relying on the ferry as an interchange point for Waterside services, add another layer of connections.
Cost matters too. A ferry ticket was £4.50 single, £7.50 return. The bus is £3 single with a tap cap making multiple journeys viable, but you’re spending 30+ extra minutes each way. For daily commuters, that’s an hour of life lost every single day because a private equity firm decided this route doesn’t fit their portfolio.
Quarter of a million pounds needed just to replace the pontoon, according to earlier council estimates. Eighteen months and counting since the last crossing. Every week that passes, more people give up and find other ways to travel. Those habits don’t reverse overnight even if boats eventually return.
The Pattern That Keeps Repeating
This isn’t just bad luck. It’s a pattern.
Blue Funnel struggled after the pandemic and couldn’t maintain the service properly. Red Funnel arrived with big promises about security and investment. The pontoon failed. Repairs stalled. Now new owners have walked in, taken one look at Hythe, and decided it’s not worth their attention.
Each time, local need gets overruled by distant financial decisions. Each time, passengers are told to wait while things get “sorted out.” Each time, the people actually using this service – who built their daily routines around it, who relied on it to get to work or appointments or simply into town – are treated as an afterthought.
When Njord Partners say they’re “not best suited” to run Hythe Ferry, what passengers hear is: “you’re not profitable enough for us to care”.
What Happens Next?
The ferry is formally on the market. That’s something, at least – no more pretending Red Funnel might quietly restart it. But there’s real fear about what comes next.
Will any buyer appear who actually wants to run a local ferry service? Or will this drag on for months more while investment funds talk to each other and passengers keep taking the long bus route?
The community is ready to support this service. People will use it again if it returns. But they need an owner who treats Hythe as essential infrastructure, not a corporate side project that can be dropped when the numbers don’t add up.
What passengers need is simple: fix the pontoon, get the boats running, publish a timetable they can rely on. Until that happens, every promise from distant owners is just more noise while the water stays empty and the buses stay packed.
The Hythe Ferry has been out of service since August 2024. Njord Partners purchased Red Funnel in autumn 2025 and confirmed in February 2026 they are seeking a buyer for the route.