Editing Torpoint Ferry (section)

==Current operations==
The route is currently served by three ferries, built by [[Ferguson Marine Engineering|Ferguson Shipbuilders Ltd]] at [[Port Glasgow]] and named after three rivers in the area: ''[[River Tamar|Tamar]] II'', ''[[River Lynher|Lynher]] II'' and ''[[River Plym|Plym]] II''. Each ferry carries 73 cars and operates using its own set of slipways and parallel chains, with a vehicle weight limit of {{convert|18|tonne}}. The ferry boats are propelled across the river by pulling themselves on the chains; the chains then sink to the bottom to allow shipping movements in the river. An intensive service is provided, with service frequencies ranging from every 10 minutes (three ferries in service) at peak times, to half-hourly (one ferry in service) at night. Services operate 24 hours a day, every day (including throughout Christmas and all other holiday periods), with service frequency never falling below half-hourly.

The ferries, along with the nearby [[Tamar Bridge]], are operated by the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee, which is jointly owned by [[Plymouth|Plymouth City Council]] and [[Cornwall Council]].

Tolls are payable in the Torpoint to Devonport eastbound direction only, except for motorcyclists, who pay westbound only. The [[toll (road usage)|toll]] is £2.60 for cars and motorcycle riders are charged 40p; there is no additional charge for a pillion passenger. Frequent users can reduce the fare by half by purchasing top-ups online for a machine-readable windscreen-mounted digital payment tag, called TamarTag, which is also usable on the [[Tamar Bridge|bridge]]. The toll increase of 50% in March 2010 was the first rise for nearly 15 years before a further increase in November 2019.

The ferry takes around 10 minutes as opposed to a 20-mile, 30-minute trip around the mainland; rush hour times differ.

===Technical information===
The fully loaded weight of each ferry is given as 1,000 tonnes, powered by up to three 12-litre diesel engines with generators feeding the two electric motors each driving its chainwheel of nearly 2 m diameter. Normally one generator suffices; the extra two provide redundancy and extra power in bad weather or for extra speed. Each chain is 650 m long and weighs 23 t. There are eight guiding pulleys per chain and rubbing plates where the chains enter and leave the hull. The chains are replaced every three years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tamarcrossings.org.uk/tamar-crossings-newsletter-december-2022/|title=Tamar Crossings Newsletter December 2022|date=9 December 2022|access-date=28 April 2024|archive-date=6 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231206131433/https://www.tamarcrossings.org.uk/tamar-crossings-newsletter-december-2022/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Unlike most chain ferries with the chain ends attached directly to the shores, the chains of the Torpoint ferries are attached with a system of falling weights and pulleys on each shore and for each ferry. This keeps a minimum tension of 3 tonnes force on each chain, but also a maximum tension of this amount, plus some friction, as long as the weights are free to fall and rise in their pits.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tamarcrossings.org.uk/ferry-update-lynher-refit-may2020/|title=Ferry – Update LYNHER Refit May 2020|date=15 May 2020|access-date=28 April 2024|archive-date=27 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127090748/https://www.tamarcrossings.org.uk/ferry-update-lynher-refit-may2020/|url-status=live}}</ref>