Russian operator Vodohod has begun transporting the Project 342E hydrofoil ferries Meteor-220 (Метеор-220) and Meteor-231 (Метеор-231) from Perm to Saint Petersburg for further restoration under a state contract with the Perm Territory’s road and transport authority.
The hydrofoil vessels were launched and towed to Perm Port on Wednesday, September 30. Perm Territory’s transport ministry said they would be loaded onto a barge in the following days for shipment to a repair base in the Leningrad Region.
Restoration began in February 2026 at the Zaozerskaya fleet repair base. Workers renewed hull plating, metal sections, rivets and sealing strips, removed seating, flooring and interior panels, and took out two old engines from each vessel, according to the ministry.
The remaining programme includes further hull and structural repairs, removal and installation of equipment, refurbishment of passenger interiors, full repainting, and upgrades to propulsion and engineering systems. The vessels will be sent to the same repair base that restored the Project 352 hydrofoil ferry Voskhod-50.
New engines, propeller shafts and propellers are to be installed, while the hydrofoil wings will undergo repairs. The equipment programme also includes air-conditioning, potable water systems, navigation and radio-navigation equipment, video surveillance and safety equipment.
The passenger accommodation areas will receive new seating, ceiling panels, flooring and glazing. The work will also cover toilets, a captain’s cabin and a service area, while the exterior repainting will give both vessels regional livery.
Each ferry is planned to carry 123 passengers after restoration. Vodohod’s route outline assigns one vessel to Perm–Sarapul and the other to Levshino–Solikamsk, with other routes also under consideration.
Meteor-220 was built at Zelenodolsk in 1987, followed by Meteor-231 in 1988. Kama River Shipping Company transferred both vessels to Perm Territory without charge in 2024, alongside Voskhod-50.
Voskhod-50, which Vodohod also restored, began operating between Perm and Sarapul in September 2026 after 24 years out of service. The hydrofoil ferry can carry 71 passengers.