Two new Bass Strait freight vessels

Bass Strait freight capacity is set to increase by 20 per cent, with transport company Toll announcing plans to spend $170 million on two new ships.

Tasmanian Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding on Thursday told state parliament the larger vessels will operate an overnight service between Burnie and Melbourne.

"I am advised that the new vessels will immediately lift Toll's freight capacity by 40 per cent when they come into service in late 2018, which will raise the overall capacity on Bass Strait by a further 20 per cent," Mr Hidding said.