historic river crossing ends after new bridge opens

The last regular ferry service across the River Clyde near Glasgow has closed just weeks after the opening of a new road bridge led to a drop in passengers.

The Renfrew Ferry had operated for around 100 years, linking the town to Yoker on the north bank of the river.

The boat carried pedestrians and cyclists across the Clyde for a small fare and operated seven days a week without public subsidy.

The operators said it was ceasing with immediate effect after a steep fall in passenger numbers meant it was no longer viable.

The opening of the new Renfrew Bridge earlier in May had led to speculation about the future of the service, which used a small aluminium boat to carry up to 12 people.

While the ferry is closer to Renfrew town centre and the new swing bridge is sometimes closed to allow ships to pass, there were fears that passenger numbers would decrease.

In a statement on social media, operators Clydelink said this had proved to be the case, with passenger numbers last week falling to a level that was “no longer viable to keep running”.

The statement added: “We didn’t get funding, but only passenger fares kept us going. A huge thank you from us to all of you who used the ferry. Some of you, every day.

“Many became personal friends. Yes, the bridge is a real pain when it’s unavailable, sometimes for hours, but that’s just swinging bridge life, and those of us who live locally will get used to it.

“So goodbye from all the Renfrew to Yoker staff. It is certainly the end of an era. We will see you around.”

The Renfrew Ferry was one of numerous ferry services that once operated across the Clyde, including at Finnieston, Govan, Partick, Whiteinch and Erskine.

The boom in car use in the 1950s and 1960s saw the introduction of a car ferry at Renfrew which was hauled between the river banks by chains.

But the opening of the Clyde Tunnel in 1963 affected usage, and it reverted to a passenger-only service again in 1984.

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport continued to provide a subsidised passenger ferry until 2010, when the crossing was taken over by private operator Clydelink.

The new Renfrew Bridge opened on 9 May, the first new road bridge across the river since the Clyde Arc, nicknamed the “Squinty Bridge,” in 2006.

Further west, in the wider Firth of Clyde, ferry services continue to operate between Gourock and Dunoon, operated by Western Ferries and CalMac.