When Duty Free ruled the cross-channel routes

I've just read an interesting article on this is Kent entitled 'When duty free shopping ruled the waves on the English Channel and its fleet of ferries', recalling the halcyon days of the cross channel ferries, when takings from duty free sales could be £1m a weekend, and there were 22 ships plying the channel routes.

How it's all changed now.

Worth a read.

Eurotunnel 'gives in' to the CMA and sells its passenger ferries to DFDS

In what is probably the final step in the long running competition review for Eurotunnel's MyFerryLink operation, that I have reported on several times including January's update, Eurotunnel have today issued a press release that it holds a binding offer from DFDS for a let to buy sale of the ferries, Rodin and Berlioz.

The press release goes on to say that for the remaining vessel, 'Nord Pas de Calais' which carries freight, Eurotunnel wishes the competition authorities to allow it to continue operating the vessel alongside the fixed (rail link).

MyFerryLink's website states that they will cease operations on 2nd July (after Eurotunnel decided not to renew the lease of the two ferries to MFL).

It will be interesting to see what if anything the Competition and Markets Authority makes of this sale of the ferry assets to DFDS as I would have thought that this might now put DFDS in a dominant position. Yes they will continue to compete with P&O and Eurotunnel but DFDS already has 5 ferries on the Dover/Calais and Dover/Dunkirk routes, making 44 crossings between them each day, so I would be surprised if they really have the need for another 2 ferries as well on the same routes.

Maybe this could mark the reopening of the Dover/Boulogne route that ceased in 2010 with LDLines?