Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram takes ‘virtual’ control of the new £26m Mersey Ferry, currently under construction at Cammell Laird shipyard. Tony McDonough reports

While workers at Cammell Laird in Birkenhead continue to build the first new Mersey Ferry for 60 years Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram took the helm of the virtual version.

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is investing £26m in the new vessel which is expected to come into service on the Mersey in summer 2026 and will be called Royal Daffodil. This will be the 16th Mersey Ferry built by Cammell Laird.

Current ferries Royal Iris and Snowdrop have struggled at times under the workload of daily crossings, river cruises, special trips out into the bay and voyages up the Manchester Ship Canal.

When Royal Daffodil is introduced it will mean either Royal Iris or Snowdrop will be taken out of service for good. The CA has yet to confirm which one is for the chop.

On Friday Mr Rotheram paid a visit to the shipping simulator at Liverpool John Moores University, which will be used to train captains on the vessel. LBN tried out the simulator, at the Byrom Street campus, earlier this year.

Although no Master Mariner himself, the Mayor was keen to gain hands-on experience of Royal Daffodil’s Azipod propulsion system that will power the boat.

Comparable hybrid-ready engines are already in use on the Lake Windermere ferry where Mersey Ferries captains are also gaining hands-on experience ahead of our 2026 launch date.

Unlike the traditional 60-year-old propulsion used on the current ferries — which requires manual engagement and throttle management for turning — the new system supports captains with automated control for safer and more efficient navigation.

“The late, great, Gerry Marsden immortalised the ‘ferry ‘cross the Mersey’ and they’re a part of who we are,” said Mr Rotheram. “They’ve carried generations of people across the river, to work, to gigs, to games and back home again.

“Royal Daffodil is the next chapter in that story – cleaner, greener, and built right here on the banks of the Mersey. It’s a real symbol of the pride, innovation and graft that make our area special.

READ MORE: How ‘green’ will the new £26m Mersey Ferry be?

“Seeing our captains mastering this new technology shows that, while the kit might be cutting-edge, the spirit of the ferries remains exactly the same.”

The simulator training at LJMU has allowed captains to rehearse emergency stops, precision docking, tight manoeuvring, and multi-weather scenarios, all on a realistic digital version of the River Mersey.

Major upgrades to the Seacombe ferry terminal (Wirral) were successfully completed in 2024, with the transformation of Woodside set to follow soon.