DFDS Seaways has announced a route closure consultation on the twice-daily Portsmouth to Le Havre ferry service. The announcement follows a meeting with its union representatives in the Extraordinary Works Council in France.
DFDS Seaways France took over the Portsmouth-Le Havre service in 2012 as part of its joint-venture with LD Lines. Both LD Lines and DFDS Seaways France have recorded heavy financial losses on this service since 2005.
DFDS said that costs have been cut on the route to make it more competitive, including replacing Norman Voyager with a smaller vessel, in addition to a series of sales and marketing initiatives designed to expand the potential customer base.
Unfortunately, the service has continued to be economically unsustainable, which is why DFDS Seaways France has begun a period of consultation in France.
Passenger and freight customers currently booked onto the service will not be affected by this process, and all bookings that have been made will be honoured, the firm said.
