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Sea Bridge ferry departs from Trabzon for Sochi as part of regular service — company

Once regular service begins, ferries will depart from Trabzon to Sochi on Wednesdays and Sundays, and run in the opposite direction on Thursdays and Saturdays

ISTANBUL, November 5. /TASS/. The Sea Bridge ferry has departed the Turkish port of Trabzon for Russia’s Sochi on its maiden voyage as part of its regular service, Mustafa Cakir, a representative of the local company Liderline, told TASS.

"The ship is currently leaving the port (at 9:30 pm local time, coincides with Moscow time, or 6:30 pm GMT - TASS)," he said.

Earlier reports said that the first route would not carry cargo or vehicles. Once regular service begins, ferries will depart from Trabzon to Sochi on Wednesdays and Sundays, and run in the opposite direction on Thursdays and Saturdays.

The ferry has now left the Trabzon port area and is heading for Sochi. The ship's actual departure time is 9:40 pm Moscow time (6:40 pm GMT), a representative of the port told TASS. There are approximately two dozen passengers on board who purchased tickets for the trip privately.

Ferry service between Sochi and Trabzon has resumed after being suspended 14 years ago. The last ferry on this line ran in 2011. From 1993 to 2011, five passenger ferries were in use.

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