19 January 2009 - News Release
LD LINES CONFIRMS EARLY DOVER - BOULOGNE START-UP
also NEW DOVER - DIEPPE ROUTE BEGINS IN FEBRUARY
Ferry operator LD Lines has confirmed its arrival into the Dover Straits cross channel ferry market will commence from 12 February 2009 bringing forward the introduction of its new Dover - Boulogne service and a new route route between Dover and Dieppe.
The company will begin a Dover - Boulogne service almost six months ahead of schedule, from the previously announced 1 July 2009 start date, by introducing a conventional freight and passenger ferry to the route.
Operating from Dover Eastern Docks, in the Port of Boulogne the ship will utilise the existing berth previously used by the defunct fast ferry operator, SpeedFerries.
"We can clearly identify the strong commercial opportunities for a direct ferry link to be re-established between Dover and Boulogne following the departure of the previous operator and our research shows the demand is there from tourist passengers and freight customers, to bring forward the start of the service," says Christophe Santoni, LD Lines Managing Director.
"A profitable ferry service must rely on a combination of passenger and freight business and by introducing a conventional ship to operate between Dover, Boulogne and Dieppe, both freight and tourist markets will have an extensive choice across our expanded route network."
From 12 February up to two return sailings daily will be provided between Dover and Boulogne with a crossing time of 1 hour 45 minutes. One round trip daily will operate between Dover and Dieppe with a crossing time of 4 hours 15 minutes.
Sailing Schedule (all times local) :
Monday - Friday : Saturday :
From Dover : 0700 Arrive Boulogne : 0945 From Dieppe : 0030 Arrive Dover : 0500
From Boulogne : 1045 Arrive Dover : 1130 From Dover : 0700 Arrive Boulogne : 0945
From Dover : 1230 Arrive Boulogne : 1515 From Boulogne : 1800 Arrive Dover : 1845
From Boulogne : 1615 Arrive Dover : 1700 Sunday :
From Dover : 1800 Arrive Dieppe : 2315 From Dover : 0700 Arrive Boulogne : 0945
From Dieppe : 0200 Arrive Dover : 0500 From Boulogne : 1615 Arrive Dover : 1700
From Dover : 1800 Arrive Dieppe : 2315
From Dieppe : 0200 Arrive Dover : 0500
Built as recently as 2007, the ships introducing the new services will alternate between the "Seven Sisters" and "Cote d'Albatre" , both of which currently operate on the Newhaven - Dieppe route under the Transmanche Ferries name, part of the LD Lines network of ferry routes. The sister ships each have capacity for 600 passengers and 300 cars or 52 freight vehicles or combination of both.
"We are delighted to welcome the early start of this new service by LD Lines, which provides a new travel opportunity for the 700,000 passengers a year who were using the previous service," said Francis Leroy, President of the Chamber of Commerce Boulogne-sur-Mer Cote d'Opale. "This is excellent news for the port, town and Boulonnais region at the start of the year and is the first step prior to the service increasing from two to six return sailings daily from July 2009, with the introduction of a second ship."
The Dover - Dieppe service will be opening new direct tourist and commercial trading links between the South East of England and the Normandy region of France and provide many travel benefits, as Christophe Santoni explains.
"Freight and tourist customers will be saving 250 km drivetime by using this service and the route will create an innovative travel choice for customers whose onward destinations are the West and South West of France and Spain. The service will give them a four hour rest period too on board during the crossing, compared to extra hours on the roads en route to regions such as Normandy and Brittany."
For tourist traffic on the Dover - Boulogne route, lead-in fares start from £24 one way for a car and four passengers and Dover - Dieppe from £29.50 each way for a car and two passengers. These special offer fares must be booked by 31 January 2009 via
www.ldlines.com or call : 0844 576 8836.
With construction of the Port of Boulogne's new Hub Port Ro Ro terminal well advanced, as planned LD Lines will be inaugurating the new berth facilities with the addition of a second ship to the route from 1 July 2009. Sailing frequency between Dover and Boulogne will then increase from two to six return sailings daily.
LD Lines cross channel ferry service network will now comprose four routes including Portsmouth - Le Havre ; Newhaven - Dieppe ; Dover - Boulogne and Dover - Dieppe, in addition to a direct ferry service between Le Havre and Rosslare Europort in Southern Ireland.
LD Lines is owned by the Louis Dreyfus Armateurs Group, a leading French shipowner with over 100 years experience in the shipping industry, operating over 60 ships worldwide.
For more information visit
www.ldlines.com