The French operator of the Newhaven-Dieppe ferry service has started the process of selling the line to a specialised shipping company.
The Conseil General de La Seine-Maritime, the French local government department, which financially backs Transmanche Ferries, has now launched an appeal for offers for the line.
Transmanche Ferries already owns the ports of Newhaven and Dieppe and wants to concentrate on running the ports with a specialised shipping company operating the 67-mile crossing.
The sell-off comes as the first of two new ferries costing £55 million was launched from a Spanish shipyard.
The 16,000-tonne Cte d'Albatre, which can carry 600 passengers and 62 cars is scheduled to come into service in April next year. It will be able to make the crossing in three-and-a-half hours instead of the four-and-a-half hours taken by the older 12,000-tonne Sardinia Vera and the 17,500-tonne MV Dieppe, currently operating the route. The second ship, the Seven Sisters, will be launched next year and in service by early 2007.
Tuesday, August 9, 2005
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