Scotland to Europe ferry plans ditched due to 'lack of government support'
PLANS to launch a new Scotland to Europe ferry have been ditched due to a “lack of financial support” from the Scottish and UK governments.
Scotland to Europe ferry: plans to reintroduce service ditched
- Thread starter Hezbez
- Start date
Gellyneck
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Not surprised in the least.
In a previous life I had been involved in the original Rosyth - Zeebrugge route and there just wasn't the freight capacity to sustain the service.
Given the previous history why should they now seek financial support from Joe Public who would take on the risk from them?
Also, was it not being proposed as a freight only service? If so, how does that benefit tourism?
Would also question if a ro-ro service is more environmentally friendly than a lo-lo container service.
In a previous life I had been involved in the original Rosyth - Zeebrugge route and there just wasn't the freight capacity to sustain the service.
Given the previous history why should they now seek financial support from Joe Public who would take on the risk from them?
Also, was it not being proposed as a freight only service? If so, how does that benefit tourism?
Would also question if a ro-ro service is more environmentally friendly than a lo-lo container service.
Well that was predictable
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Was never going to happen.
Tombola
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Should have got calmac on it. 
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Gellyneck
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At least they save significant fuel costs 'cause they don't move most of the time!Should have got calmac on it.
stewartwebr
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Do you really think the SNP are going to get involved with any more ferries, not suprised. The Newcastle to Amsterdam works well for us and it’s only an overnight.
Unfortunately I don't see a Scotland/Mainland ferry route being financially viable, but
I'm sort of hoping that the EU will step in on behalf of the Republic of Ireland.
And subsidise &/or guarantee a ferry between Dublin and Holyhead and then a matching service between the Humber and Ijmuiden/Rotterdam.
Two pricing structures, those going straight through to Dublin pay one (subsidised) price, and those from the UK paying another (unsubsidised) price
The condition would be UK customs clearing the (sealed) cargo instantly as long as it was going straight to Ireland with no drop offs or deviation.
(The idea is not new, the Swiss and Austrians have been doing this for trans alpine cargos to/from Italy since the 1950's)
It would mean an unaccompanied trailer could do Dublin to Rotterdam with only 4 hours of driving and be anywhere on the north western mainland with 'next day' delivery.
It would save the Irish many, many, man days with their current shipping routes via France, it would also alleviate a lot of the congestion at Dover.
I'm sort of hoping that the EU will step in on behalf of the Republic of Ireland.
And subsidise &/or guarantee a ferry between Dublin and Holyhead and then a matching service between the Humber and Ijmuiden/Rotterdam.
Two pricing structures, those going straight through to Dublin pay one (subsidised) price, and those from the UK paying another (unsubsidised) price
The condition would be UK customs clearing the (sealed) cargo instantly as long as it was going straight to Ireland with no drop offs or deviation.
(The idea is not new, the Swiss and Austrians have been doing this for trans alpine cargos to/from Italy since the 1950's)
It would mean an unaccompanied trailer could do Dublin to Rotterdam with only 4 hours of driving and be anywhere on the north western mainland with 'next day' delivery.
It would save the Irish many, many, man days with their current shipping routes via France, it would also alleviate a lot of the congestion at Dover.
Can't a ferry service between Rosslare and Le Havre provide what the Irish truckers need? It should remove the need for Irish HGVs to use unsuitable Welsh roads.
I can't speculate regarding a freight solution for Scotland.
If there was a service (EU &/or Irish ferries) between the Humber and the Netherlands then the HGV's would not need to drive across from Dublin/Holyhead on the unsuitable Welsh roads, the mountainous and twisty A5 through Snowdonia for Dover (The old Roman road of Watling Street)
HGV's would take the A55, across the top of Wales, which is all 2-3 lanes and no hills, and join the M62 for the Humber.
4 hrs from Holyhead to Immingham, a nice job for British truck drivers.
Pick up an Irish trailer in Holyhead drive to Immingham and dump the trailer for the ferry to Holland.
Pick up trailer in Immingham and drive to Holyhead, or vice versa.
A nice 8hr round trip.
It means that the Irish freight (in and out) would be in northern Europe, and 4hrs from the Ruhrgebiet (the central European industrial area around Dusseldorf) rather than at the arse end of France, at least a day, of extra driving to get to any industrial area.
The Rosslare/le Havre route could be retained, as it's good for Spanish and western French imports (Vegetables and wine) and exports (Tourists and meat).
The Dublin/Holyhead/Immingham/Holland route would be for everything industrial.
It could of course be eventually be replaced by a rail line from Cork to Immingham, under the Irish Sea and across the UK, but given the fiasco of HS2 I just don't see any UK Government, of any colour, being capable of a capital project of that size and degree of forward planning.
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Last edited:
No support. That’s because they all fly everywhere.
For Ferries the bread and butter business is freight.
Tourists and vehicles are a seasonal cream on top.
Not quite understanding you B...if there is or was a need for this kind of service then it will already be operating through the two ferries a night that run humber to holland......or am i missing something here
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In your dreams.
At night maybe, but daytime + getting past Manchester, Bradford and Leeds - no chance.
Looking for a through service for unaccompanied trailers, Dublin to Holland.
Designed so that the timings match between getting off the ferry at Holyhead and loading the ferry at Immingham.
With a bit of planning it could take the majority of inter EU freight between the mainland and Ireland.
As for motorhomes, and the Scots, it would be a Brucie bonus, a way of getting from the Humber to the mainland without the need to go within 200 miles of Dover
As I said earlier, in an ideal world (or nation such as China that plans forward) you would actually replace the Ireland/Wales/England bit of the route with a train line, 700 KM's end to end, which means about 4 hours from Cork to the Ferry at Immingham for the EU mainland.
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Still not really understanding as there is such a service if anyone wants it already operating.......what are you looking for / proposing that would be new?
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