#EnglishChannel - DFDS Seaways plan to close Portsmouth-Le Havre route later this year, the announcement follows partners LD Lines which closed services also from another UK south coast port to Spain just over a week ago, writes Jehan Ashmore.
According to the Danish owned DFDS, they cite the closure is due to continued losses and that they have held consultations with French unions. The route carried 185,000 passengers and 480,000 lane-metres of freight in 2013 generating revenues of DKK 165m.
The route forms a network of English Channel and Mediterranean services run in a partnership between DFDS Seaways and Louis Dreyfus Armatuers (LDA) through is ferry brand LD Lines now reduced to the St.Nazaire-Gijon route and a France-Tunisia link.
As previously reported, LD Lines 'Irish' leg of the Spanish landbridge route was closed last month, when the service was withdrawn between the French port and Rosslare.
Returning to the Portsmouth-Le Havre route, this is served by a time-chartered ro-pax ship, understood to be Seven Sisters (2005/18,940grt). The French-flagged vessel and crew will be redelivered to her owners at the end of 2014.
According to DFDS, a number of initiatives to improve the route's financial performance since the route was taken over from (LDA) in 2012 have had limited effect, yet leaving LD Lines to continue running their remaining services in the partnership.
DFDS also claim given unsatisfactory financial results, the measures already taken and new EU sulphur emission rules coming into force on 1 January 2015, the route does not have a viable future.
Another DFDS route, Harwich-Esbjerg which is not part of the partnership with LD Lines is to close later this month. The withdrawal of what is the only ferry service connecting UK and Scandinavian is once again due in part to the introduction of sulphur directives.