PORTLAND – The company that operates The Cat high-speed ferry between Bar Harbor and Nova Scotia is considering adding service to Portland this fall.

The city would have to reach a decision within a matter of weeks to give Bay Ferries Ltd. time to set up the service, Mark MacDonald, the company’s president, said Tuesday from Nova Scotia. The city is talking to at least one other ferry operator.

“I don’t want to raise expectations,” MacDonald said. “Would I rule out the possibility of service this fall? No. Would I promise it? No.”

Portland was left without ferry service to Nova Scotia when operators of the Scotia Prince abruptly canceled service this spring.

The Cat can hold 900 passengers – roughly the same as the Scotia Prince – but its top speed of 55 mph gives it the flexibility to serve both its existing market in Bar Harbor and the Portland market, MacDonald sad.

The Cat, which is so named because it’s a catamaran, can travel between Portland and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, in about five hours, less than half the 11 hours it took for the

Scotia Prince, an older, traditional ship.

In the past, Bay Ferries has proposed serving Bar Harbor and Portland on different days of the week. But the ferry’s speed and an additional crew, in theory, could allow it to make daily roundtrips from both Portland and Bar Harbor.

In time, Bay Ferries would consider adding another ship to serve Portland, MacDonald said. High-speed catamarans such as The Cat cost about $50 million.

In addition to working with The Cat, Portland officials have been in contact with a company that operates high-speed ferries elsewhere in the United States, said Jeffrey Monroe, the city’s transportation director.

That company, which he declined to name, has U.S.-flagged ships that can carry passengers between U.S. ports, such as Boston and Portland. Under federal maritime law, foreign-flagged vessels, such as The Cat, can’t do that.

In addition to ferries, the city is opening the International Marine Terminal to buses, vans and shuttle services that would connect with destinations ranging from Nova Scotia to the Foxwoods casino in Connecticut, as well as local hotels, the Portland International Jetport and train and bus stations.

The move to bring charter bus, shuttle and waterborne travel together under one roof will make the city more attractive to travelers, Monroe said.

“Portland needs to grow into the fact that it’s a significant transportation center on the East Coast,” he said. “It’s not just a seaport. It’s not just an airport.”