LD Lines in major fleet shake-up

French cross-channel ferry operator LD Lines is currently involved in a major fleet/route shake up programme involving its services between the UK and France and France and Ireland. Following LD Lines announcement that it was to use its Norman Voyager full time on its new service between Cherbourg (France) and Rosslare (Republic of Ireland), quickly came the news that this wasn’t to be and that the 2008-built Norman Voyager had been chartered to rival ferry operator Celtic Link Ferries which will use the vessel on its new daily service during the week linking the south coast UK port of Portsmouth with Cherbourg, and using the vessel on the company’s existing Cherbourg-Rosslare run at weekends.

The new service between Portsmouth and Cherbourg was to have started on 29 September, but Norman Voyager sustained a mysterious hole in her hull while berthed in Rosslare and had to undertake an emergency drydocking at A&P Falmouth to rectify this problems. The new service is expected to start the week beginning 5 October.

Meanwhile, LD Lines has announced major fleet changes for 2010 including the introduction of a conventional ferry on its Dover-Boulogne service.

From early November 2009 the conventional ferry Norman Spirit will transfer from its current Portsmouth-Le Havre route to commence operations on the French operators’ Dover-Boulogne service, considerably increasing freight and tourist traffic capacity. The high speed Incat wave-piercing catamaran Norman Arrow, which began operating Dover-Boulogne in June this year, will switch to the Portsmouth-Le Havre route in 2010, starting a six month seasonal operation between Easter and September and offering a crossing time of just three hours and 15 minutes. Norman Arrow will operate alongside the year-round conventional ferry Cote d’Albatre.

Norman Spirit will operate four return sailings daily between Dover and Boulogne and is capable of carrying 1,850 passengers, 700 cars and 110 freight vehicles. The conventional ferry is being introduced on the Dover-Boulogne service because the fast ferry Norman Arrow cannot provide sufficient freight capacity.

LD Lines managing director Christophe Santoni said: ‘We remain convinced that the freight and tourist traffic high speed ferry concept can ultimately work across the Dover Straits and we will be continuing a dialogue with the shipbuilders regarding the next generation of fast ferries, incorporating improvements that we see as vital.’ These include not only offering a fast crossing time, but also fast berthing and the loading and discharge of vehicles. Sphere: Related Content