Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
19 August 2010
20:1566207#21
The port of Dover is in for avery bad time over the next few years and will never get back to what it was 20years go fuel costs alone will see to that,but we will see a new tunnel within 20years and that could be aroad one,that is why the members of the DHB want to get out,but the port of Dover can still make cash but they must look way from the ferrys as I said before five years time there will only be PO in our port.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
19 August 2010
20:5066214#22
Really Ed - I am surprised at you.
Dover being the worlds busiest port is absolutely nothing to do with being a now outdated Trust Port. It is everything to do with geography.
I think that you need to take a step back and think. Dover is going nowhere if it does not modernise and adapt to the modern world.
Charlie has produced a compromise solution that is of real benefit to Dover. It deserves support.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
19 August 2010
21:2066218#23
Our MP plan could not and will not work it will not even get off the ground he has till 2012 to get the cash and that will not happen,he is saying he would like the public of Dover and the district to buy £10units in his plan ,but you would not get it back any funds,it would go into buying the port then back into a trust for the Town,Would you buy into this plan knowing that you will not get back your own money at some point ,if I done that for any funds I put in I would need to see A return.
Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
19 August 2010
23:1766278#24
If Vic's predictions for the port are true, who exactly would invest in the construction of a second channel tunnel? Too many people -including big institutions in the City - got their fingers burnt last time. The first tunnel is still only operating at around 50% capacity. Given the problems of the first, a second is unlikely to ever be on the agenda.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
19 August 2010
23:2466279#25
Mr Charles,soon it is to have a new train sevice +ex lorry ones and it is operating alot more than 50% +the high speed trains I am sorry to say but they are doing very well and the D,H,B, know this,we will end up with it looking like a Dartford Tunnel with a road tunnel as well but with fuel cost on the up and up more will be going by train and hire acar when they get to where they are going.
Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
20 August 2010
18:2966348#26
The smart money - infrastructure funds, etc - would be on investment in Dover not another Channel Tunnel. Therein lies the opportunity for Dover, and the opportunity is now.
Unregistered User
20 August 2010
18:3866350#27
Kevin , as perceptive as ever.
Your analysis is spot on, whatever the outcome of the current funding debate.
Watty
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
20 August 2010
18:5866353#28
Time will tell who is right and who is wrong,but I can see myself in two years time saying"WELL I TOLD YOU SO."
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
20 August 2010
19:0766354#29
The DHB are proposing a sell-off of the port, probably to foreign capital. Charlie is proposing co-operative buy-out by the people of Dover. Can any of you Luddites out there tell the difference? And forgive me if I am wrong, but I thought the tunnel debate was about a replacement for the Shakespeare tunnel, not a new Channel Tunnel.
PG.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Unregistered User
20 August 2010
19:0966355#30
Vic, the costs of building another tunnel , while the first is still seriously in debt , is out of the question.
The thru. train opportunities for German Rail etc. are more relevant.
They affect the airports more than than Dover Port.
Watty
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
20 August 2010
19:4566367#31
As I said Mr Watkins time will tell.I will just add to that but you know this anyway Mr Watkins the operations of the tunnel is making money and alot of it ,it is what happen years ago that put it in dept.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
20 August 2010
20:1366372#32
Vic - it is only 'profitable' as they wrote of several BILLION pounds in debt!!! Don't think anyone would that mistake happen again....
Most of us would probably be millionaires if we didn't have pay off our debts.....
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
20 August 2010
20:2866375#33
It was not that much Paul but it was alot I agree,again time will tell who was right or wrong just hope I am still around.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
20 August 2010
20:2866376#34
It was not that much Paul but it was alot I agree,again time will tell who was right or wrong just hope I am still around.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
20 August 2010
20:4466378#35
They reduced their debt from £6.2billion down to £2.8billion = a writeoff of £3.4 BILLION
Last year the they made about £1.3million profit down from £30million the year before and £0.8million the year before that
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7335991.stm
Without the write-off it would probably NEVER have paid off it's debt and made any profit.
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
20 August 2010
22:1366401#36
They profit were down because of the two fires if that had not happen the port of Dover profits would not have been what they were. Again I was at all the meetings and know what I am talking about.
Guest 675- Registered: 30 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,610
20 August 2010
22:2166402#37
The original builders and operators of the Channel Tunnel had a time limit on the right to put in plans for a second road tunnel. That date has long passed and I have not heard of anyone proposing or offering to build one. The option is there but nobody seems inclined to take it up. Work has been done on the tunnel through Shakespeare Cliff to make it suitable for the high speed trains.
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Richard Armour
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
20 August 2010
22:3066403#38
We will wait and see.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
20 August 2010
22:3966407#39
I stand corrected, I won't let FACTS/Eurotunnels own accounts get in the way again !
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 697- Registered: 13 Apr 2010
- Posts: 622
21 August 2010
08:3366433#40
Paul is spot on concerning the finances of Eurotunnel. Indeed, without the debt restructuring, the whole thing probably would have ended up owned by the banks in 2005.
