Brittany Ferries has closed one of its English Channel routes earlier than expected this month due to a technical issue with one of its ropax vessels.
The Portsmouth-Le Havre route was initially set to end at the start of next week, 28 September, as part of a major restructuring process as the operator’s strategy followed financial issues, reports The Connexion.
However, technical issues with the ropax Commodore Clipper mean that the final few cross-channel sailings will not be completed, and the UK-France route has effectively come to an end. (See related Afloat coverage from Rosslare Europort as of one year ago, and further updates as below).
According to local media reports, the central English Channel has not been operational since 16 September, and the exact issue for the withdrawal of service has not been made public.
In response, the company issued the following statement: “We apologise to all affected customers, and are sorry that the route can't complete its final sailings; we know many had hoped to be part of them."
“It has been a pleasure for all at Brittany Ferries to link Portsmouth and Le Havre since 2013. However, the current economic context means the route is no longer viable, and, sadly, we have had to make the difficult decision to close it.”
Passengers booked with tickets for one of the cancelled crossings can exchange them for another service—with routes also through Portsmouth, linking to Caen, Cherbourg, and Saint-Malo, all in Normandy and still running from the Hampshire port—or they can obtain a refund.
In a major shake-up of services following rising costs (among them Afloat highlights a bill of €27 million in EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) charges), the company also cited fewer passengers, Covid loan repayments, and unfair competition as the main reasons for the difficulties.
Ireland upgrade
Afloat also reported last week that Brittany Ferries is to increase capacity between France and Ireland on the Rosslare-Cherbourg connection; this is in response to strong demand from travellers taking the mainland Europe route and also to Spain.
As reported, the chartering of a cruise ferry to be renamed Wexford on the continental line and under the French flag. The twin-funnelled ferry currently operates for Corsica Linea as their Vizzavona, where Afloat tracked it last Wednesday sailing from Propriano, Corsica, bound for Marseilles, and when its charter commences, it will see it replace the P&O chartered ropax Norbay.
Wexford is expected to debut in March, 2027, and operate three weekly return crossings between Rosslare and Cherbourg, Normandy, from where it will make one weekly return sailing to Portsmouth.
The new service comes with bookings opening at the end of October and the introduction of the larger capacity. Wexford will intensify competition with Cherbourg. As DFDS serves Dunkirk, and the Hibernia Line from Cork calls to Boulogne, however, the former port is located further east on the English Channel, and the latter port is beyond, requiring a transit through the Strait of Dover.
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