Red Funnel has announced cuts to its Red Jet late-night crossings between Southampton and the Isle of Wight due to falling demand from passengers.

From January, the last high-speed passenger service of the day will leave 40 minutes earlier.

It means the last Red Jet to West Cowes will depart from Southampton at 10.30pm as opposed to 11.10pm while the last departure from West Cowes will be at 11.05pm rather than 11.45pm.

The new timetable will come into effect on Wednesday, January 3.

Leanna Lakes, Operations Director at Red Funnel, said: “We apologise for any inconvenience these adjustments to Red Jet timetable may cause.

"The updates are due to a reduction in demand, which has dropped off substantially since 2019.

"We will continue to monitor passenger numbers travelling on all services and make timetable adjustments as necessary.”

The company says it will change Red Jet sailing times on Southampton FC match days to ensure fans can travel between West Cowes and Southampton.

More information will be made available in January, it added. 

From January 3, the last four crossings in each direction will be as follows: 

Red Jet evening service - Southampton to West Cowes
•    Departing at: 18.30, 19.40, 21.05, 22.30

Red Jet evening service -West Cowes to Southampton
•    Departing at: 19.05, 20.15, 21.40, 23.05

The final late-night departure for the Southampton to East Cowes service will leave Southampton at 11.55pm and East Cowes at 10.30pm and 1.30am.

Red Funnel's Christmas timetable will also come into effect shortly, running from December 19 to January 2 for both the Red Jet and the vehicle ferry service.