Hovercraft Service Ltd a subsidiary of Preston-based coach firm Walton’s Coach Hire, is proposing to introduce an 18-minute shuttle between Barrow and Fleetwood.
The Preston-based company hopes to operate up to 14 return trips a day, with two vessels each carrying up to 84 passengers. The scheme would involve an investment of £9.5m and include onshore passenger terminals at Barrow and Fleetwood.
Although the company is yet to submit any application to introduce the service, the proposals have been welcomed as a potential boost for tourism.
A spokeswoman for Wyre Council, the local authority for Fleetwood, said: “In theory it is a good idea and could potentially benefit Wyre by bringing people into Fleetwood and providing another travel option for residents, however we would need to view the proposals in more detail.”
There’s also a mention of a proposed service to run from Fleetwood to the Isle of Man. That hover journey would take one hour 40 minutes, against the three and a half hours it currently takes by ferry.
Hovercraft Services have also written to the Prime Minister about the plans.