Posted on: 4 January 2016
P&O Ferries today announces that it has seen an 11 per cent year-on-year increase in HGV’s crossing between Britain and the continent on its Hull-Rotterdam route.
The uplift amounts to more than 5,000 extra vehicles being carried on the North Sea route during 2015 – contributing to a total of 52,000 HGV’s.
The ferry company said that new customers had been attracted by the reliability of its twice daily service and the fact that drivers were able to take a break from driving on the overnight sailings, thereby shortening total end-to-end journey times for freight.
Janette Bell, Commercial Director at P&O Ferries, said: “As the British economy continues to grow, we are seeing an encouraging uplift in HGV volumes between Hull and Rotterdam.”
“The drivers can take advantage of a rest period on this route, with the ships sailing overnight on their 10-hour crossing. Drivers can also save many miles off their total journeys by crossing between Hull and Rotterdam rather than one of the more northerly crossings.”
“A significant amount of the new business is coming from eastern Europe, as well as some customers who are transferring from the Channel Tunnel and English Channel routes. This growth also reinforces the role that the maritime sector can play in the Government’s ‘Northern Powerhouse’ plans. Alongside better road and rail links, we are a key part of the solution.”
Last year P&O Ferries’ terminal at Rotterdam (Europoort) benefitted from a 250 metre rail extension which has equipped it to handle longer freight trains from Central and Eastern Europe, significantly enhancing capacity and efficiency. The loading and discharge times at both Hull and Europoort are among the fastest in the sector.
P&O Ferries sails two ships, the Pride of Hull and the Pride of Rotterdam, on the route every day. Both vessels are among the largest passenger ferries in Europe, with first-class facilities for lorry drivers.
The news follows P&O Ferries’ strong performance on the English Channel in 2015 when it carried its highest ever volume of freight between Dover and Calais during Q3, a 30 per cent year-on-year increase.
P&O Ferries is a leading pan-European ferry operator, sailing on nine major routes between Britain, France, Ireland, Holland and Belgium. The company operates 20 vessels which carry more than 10 million passengers, 1.6 million cars and two million freight units every year.
