Amber Express: a fast catamaran to link Gdynia and Hel in half an hour

From 1 July, the operator Żegluga Gdańska is launching a pilot programme of fast water transport on the Gulf of Gdańsk. Its first element is the Amber Express catamaran, which is to cover the route from Gdynia to Hel in about 30 minutes. That is twice as fast as the existing cruises and faster than a car at the height of the season. The vessel will carry up to 393 passengers.

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27 june 2026   |   18:23   |   Source: Gazeta Morska   |   Prepared by: Kamil Kusier   |   Print

fot. Żegluga Gdańska

The idea is simple. In summer the roads onto the Hel Peninsula, the narrow sandspit that closes off the Gulf of Gdańsk, become congested, and the drive from the Tricity (Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot) to Hel can take more than two hours. The train takes about an hour, as do the current cruises across the bay. The fast catamaran aims to halve that time and offer residents and tourists an alternative to the crowded roads.

Half an hour instead of two

The main Amber Express route is the Gdynia to Hel connection, which the vessel is to cover in around 30 minutes over a distance of nearly 23 kilometres. According to the announcements, the catamaran will also serve other directions on the Gulf of Gdańsk, including Gdańsk to Hel and Hel to Sopot. Cutting the travel time is the project's biggest selling point, because it allows passengers to reach the open sea faster than overland, while also seeing the bay from the water.

What the vessel is

Amber Express is an aluminium catamaran more than 31 metres long, with a top speed of around 20 knots, or roughly 37 kilometres per hour. The design is suited to short coastal routes. Passengers have assigned seats, and at top speed they are advised to stay seated. There is no bar on board, which underlines the vessel's character as a means of fast transport rather than a sightseeing cruise.

The catamaran previously belonged to the French operator Morlenn Express and sailed out of the port of Brest. It is now moored at the Pomorskie Quay in Gdynia, next to the tall ship Dar Pomorza, and has passed sea trials on the waters of the bay. The vessel's official presentation is planned for 30 June in Gdynia, together with a press conference, a demonstration cruise on the Gdynia to Sopot to Gdynia route, and the participation of representatives of the coastal municipalities.

A pilot and fleet plans

The chief executive of Żegluga Gdańska, Jerzy Latała, describes the venture as a commercial pilot programme and does not hide the fact that it carries business risk. The aim is to offer travellers an alternative to the car and the train, and to test how the new service is received on the market.

If the pilot succeeds, the operator is ready to expand the fleet. Żegluga Gdańska has already contracted five further vessels from the French operator, which also sailed earlier in Brest. They differ in construction from Amber Express, being single-hull rather than catamarans, but offer a similar speed and passenger capacity. The next ship is due to reach the Tricity in October 2026, with the following ones handed over two per year in the coming years. It points to the building of a regular network of fast water connections on the Gulf of Gdańsk.

Fewer cars on the road to Hel

The project also has an environmental dimension. During a single half-hour run on the Gdynia to Hel route, the vessel burns around 180 litres of diesel. At full capacity, that is 393 passengers, a single trip can replace the journey of about 120 cars. The more people who choose the sea route over the overland one, the lighter the load on the congested approach roads to the Hel Peninsula, and the less exhaust generated by vehicles stuck in traffic. For the coastal municipalities, that is an argument for treating fast shipping as a real element of the transport system, not merely a tourist attraction.

Not a new idea

Fast water transport on the Gulf of Gdańsk is not an entirely new concept. As far back as the previous decade, the catamaran Agat served as a water tram on these waters, running among other things a seasonal Gdynia to Hel connection. This time, however, the point is a more modern vessel, a higher speed and the ambition of building a permanent, regular service. If the Amber Express pilot proves itself, fast passenger shipping could become a fixed feature of Pomerania's transport map, combining road relief, shorter journeys and the appeal of a trip across the bay.

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Amber Express katamaran Gdynia Hel Żegluga Gdańska szybka komunikacja wodna Półwysep Helski

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