Ferry service linking Korsakov (Sakhalin) and Wakkanai (Hokkaido) will start operation on August 1, 2016. Cross border transportation of passengers between the islands will resume by the order of the Sakhalin Regio n Governor, says the press center of the regional government. Passenger ship Penguin-33 was chartered in Singapore for that purpose.
The Japanese side is completing the formalities for selling tickets while Sakhalin is ready for the first voyage to Hokkaido. The Penguin-33 can accommodate up to 80 passengers. The travel time between the islands is about four hours. The line operator is SASCO. The tickets are sold by travel agencies Bi-Tomo and Hokkaido Sakhalin Line Ltd.