Newy 87.8 FM – Buses have replaced the Stockton ferry between Stockton and Queens Wharf since Monday 2 November 2026 due to unplanned maintenance.
Newcastle Transport says the replacement buses will run until further notice.
The buses operate every 30 minutes, departing on the hour and half hour, between Stockton and Queens Wharf in the Newcastle CBD.
Newcastle Transport, which is operated by Keolis for Transport for NSW, has not given an end date or a date for ferry services to resume.
The disruption affects Stockton commuters, school students and residents.
The Newcastle Herald has reported that the MV Hunter is the affected vessel and that it suffered mechanical issues. Newcastle Transport's notice does not name the vessel or describe the fault.
A $5 million life-extension program for the two Stockton ferries was announced in May 2026, according to news reports.
Newy.com.au reported that MV Shortland was scheduled for the works in August 2026 and MV Hunter in August 2027, with each vessel docked for about three months.
A similar outage occurred in late 2025, when buses replaced the ferry until further notice. Services resumed at 7.30pm on 16 December 2025 after repairs to MV Shortland were reported complete.
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