Louis Dreyfus Armateurs ferry subsidiary LD Lines has gone into partnership with family-owned Transeuropa Ferries between the British port of Ramsgate and the Belgian port of Ostend.
LD Lines is to take charge of developing tourist traffic on the route, leaving Transeuropa in charge of ship operation and development of its traditional freight activity. Under the terms of the deal, LD Lines is to transfer Norman Spirit from its Dover-Boulogne service to the Ramsgate-Ostend route, where it will be operated by Transeuropa on long-term charter.
The 1991-built, 28,833 gt Norman Spirit , which is expected to replace one of the Transeuropa vessels on the route later this year, will be renamed Ostend Spirit to mark its change of route and operator. In returning to Ostend, the vessel is returning to the port where it began its career as the Prins Filip with Belgian operator Regie voor Maritiem Transport.
As promised by LD Lines, it is to be replaced on the Dover-Boulogne service by the 1999-built, 22,152 gt Ave Liepaja , better known under its original name, Brave Merchant. This latter vessel, which is also to be renamed, has 2,000 lane metres of garage capacity and accommodation for 400 passengers.
LD Lines managing director Christophe Santoni said that the agreement with Transeuropa would extend its network of ferry services northwards, enabling it to attract new business from the Benelux, Germany and eastern Europe.
Transeuropa general manager Dominique Penel said that the use of a larger ship on the Ramsgate-Ostend route would enable the company to offer a better service to freight customers and to develop tourist traffic via LD Lines marketing capacity. The agreement between the two companies is due to come into effect in the second half of March.
Transeuropa Ferries has been operating between Ramsgate and Ostend since 1998. Owned by family interests based in the United Kingdom, it operates five ships, devoted mainly to freight transport, but has been developing its passenger transport activities since 2004.
Source: Lloyds List, March 2010
