PORTLAND – The City Council has given final approval to a deal that restores ferry service between Portland and Nova Scotia.

Under the agreement, operators of the high-speed ferry known as The Cat will operate three days a week between Portland and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. The ferry will continue to operate between Bar Harbor and Yarmouth on the other days.

“We’re very excited and energized by the agreement and look forward to a mutually successful business arrangement,” city spokesman Peter DeWitt said Tuesday.

The ship holds 900 passengers and cruises at 55 mph, making the trip from Portland to Yarmouth in about 5 1/2 hours.

The Portland deal came about when owners of the Scotia Prince abruptly ended a 35-year relationship with the city last spring. Up until then, a decades-old agreement between the city and the Scotia Prince limited competition.

Although the ferry will run three days a week from Portland, the contract allows the service to expand to seven days a week, said City Transportation Director Jeffrey Monroe. Bay Ferries has said that it would need to buy an additional ship to do that.