P&O Ferries want passengers to book with confidence: Flexible booking with no amendment fees
P&O Ferries is doubling its rail capacity at Europoort with the launch of a second line into its terminal at the continental hub.
The 650-metre long track will complement P&O’s existing rail line and means that the integrated ferry and logistics company can handle up to four trains of either 36 trailers or 42 x 45 foot containers a day, comprising eight services to and from locations across Europe.
Janette Bell, CEO P&O Ferries, said: “This new rail capacity will help even more of our customers solve their supply chain challenges and make trade flow by utilizing the unrivalled combined assets of P&O Ferries and P&O Ferrymasters.”
“Customers will be able to move goods between Britain and Europe using P&O Ferrymasters rail services and take advantage of our integrated planning, scheduling and transport management systems which solve some of the most pressing challenges in logistics, especially transparency.”
“To connect with the UK market, we provide three sailings a week to Teesport and seven sailings a week to Hull, with a commitment to providing customers with the most reliable and cost efficient service possible. This initiative underlines our commitment to growth and going to places where our customers want us to go.”
P&O Ferries released the first official images of the new €260 million super-ferries (although some were already published in FSN earlier via Chinese sources).
The largest ships ever to sail between Dover and Calais, the first of the 230-metre super-ferries will be operational by 2023.
What is important to remember?
The order was announced in September 2019.
Danish OSK-ShipTech is the designer [link to OSK ShipTech website]
New Advanced Double-Ended Ships for P&O Ferries
P&O FERRIES has signed a contract with Guangzhou Shipyard International Ltd worth €260 million to deliver a new generation of ships on the English Channel.
P&O Ferries Launches New Freight App
P&O Ferries is promising its freight customers a simplified way of moving goods between Britain and Europe thanks to its new freight app.
For the first time, freight customers are able to buy tickets to Europe using a credit card, are able to see live updates on departures and can board their sailing just by quoting their reference number.
Henrik Pedersen, Director of Freight Sales at P&O Ferries, said: “We understand that our customers are looking for a service which is punctual, reliable and cost efficient. In a world of growing complexity, this app helps to simplify their journey with us by providing what is in effect a self-service offering.”
“Freight customers travelling between Dover and Calais can now just pay and go without having to set-up an account. They are able to book and pay online, using a debit card or credit card, and have access to the app 24 hours a day. We believe that this is a market-leading offer which creates clear blue water between us and the competition.”
The 1,600 lane meter CAROLINE RUSS (MarineTraffic) is the ro-ro that will be used for the new Calais – Tilbury P&O route.
CAROLINE RUSS is owned by a company within the Ernst Russ group.
There will be two sailings every weekday and one each on Saturday and Sunday. The eight-hour sailing will have capacity for 100 units of freight, with a total of 50,000 expected to be carried in the first 12 months. It is expected that time-sensitive supermarket goods including fresh fruit and vegetables will be transported on the route.
The new river berth at the Port of Tilbury is scheduled to open in April next year, enabling P&O Ferries to treble volumes on its existing Zeebrugge-Tilbury services to 600,000 loads of freight a year. An onward rail connection to Daventry is also expected to be operational in 2020, mirroring the rail connections linking the Port of Calais with Le Boulou, Turin and Orbassano on the Continent.
P&O Ferries will launch a new Calais – Tilbury -Calais daily service operating from end September 2019. The company has announced this in a letter to their freight customers.
The service will provide space for 12 self-drive tractor-trailers and 90 unaccompanied trailers or containers per sailing. The ship is planned to arrive in Tilbury daily at 04:30 enabling the driver to be on the M25 before 06:00.
The new route gives quick and direct access to the M25 London markets, the South of England and also all the Regional Distribution centres north of London / along the M1 corridor up to Birmingham. This route saves up to 75 miles / 125 km each way versus the traditional Dover-Calais crossing.
News from the Eckerö side:
(the photo was taken in 2005, when the vessel operated for Norfolkline on Dunkerque – Dover)
News from P&O Ferries:
P&O Ferries is taking legal action against the UK government. The reason is the GBP 33 million given to competitor Eurotunnel, seen by P&O as unfair distortion of competition.
The money given to Eurotunnel was given by the Department for Transport, as compensation for the GBP 100 million contracts with Brittany Ferries, DFDS and Seaborne Freight. These contracts were to make sure that the companies would have enough ferry capacity in case of a no-deal Brexit.
(see also in our Media section)
DP World Acquires P&O Ferries Again
DP World PLC announced the acquisition of the holding company of P&O Ferries and P&O Ferrymasters for a purchase consideration of GBP322 million.
The transaction is subject to customary completion conditions and is expected to close in the first half of 2019.
DP World acquired the British company in 2006, but soon sold off P&O Ferries to its major shareholder, Dubai World. Now it is buying it back from Dubai World.
DP World Chairman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem said earlier that the indecisiveness of British politicians on the Brexit was obstructing the company’s ability to plan for their UK operations (according to Reuters).
P&O Ferries operates a fleet of 21 vessels on the Short Sea, North Sea and Irish Sea sectors across 11 ports.
