New ferry to link Dover and Boulogne next summer
Ferry Online Travel News 13/10/2008
The Port of Dover has approved a request by LD Lines to operate ferry service on the route from next year.
The new passenger and freight service is set to launch on 1 July, with four return crossings offered Monday to Saturday, and two on Sunday. The trip duration will be one hour 45 minutes.
The Norman Spirit is the ferry that LD Lines is planning to operate on the Dover-Boulogne route. It is currently sailing on the Portsmouth-LeHavre run. It has a passenger capacity of 1,850, and can carry 700 cars, as well as 110 freight vehicles.
Christophe Santoni, the chief executive of LD Lines, said: “Our entry into the highly competitive short sea cross channel ferry business is a major development for LD Lines.
“We are convinced that the service will undoubtedly attract new freight and tourist customers, which will benefit both Dover and Boulogne as departure and destination ports.”
During its first year of operating the service, LD Lines projects that it will carry 400,000 passengers, 133,000 cars and also 120,000 freight vehicles.
The Port of Dover has said that a second ferry terminal may be constructed to handle its forecasted traffic growth.
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