Austal wins $68m ferry contract in Japan

Austal has won a $68 million contract to build a ferry for JR Kyushu Jet Ferry of Japan, scheduled to be in service prior to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Australian shipbuilder Austal has won a $68 million contract to design and build a ferry that will run between Japan and South Korea.

Austal says the new 83-metre trimaran ferry for JR Kyushu Jet Ferry of Japan will carry 502 passengers at an operational speed of 37 knots between Fukuoka, Japan and Busan, South Korea.

Construction of the vessel will start late this year and services are scheduled to begin before the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020.