Ferry Company Reports Channel Freight Volumes Highest in Modern History

UK – P&O Ferries say that the company carried more freight across the English Channel in the first six months of 2017 than in any first half of the year in its modern history. The ferry and logistics firm's six ships on the Dover-Calais route transported 710,813 lorries between January and June. This figure represents a 10.4% increase on 2016, which was the previous best ever year. Janette Bell, Managing Director of P&O Ferries, said:

"These record volumes illustrate the continuing resilience of the British economy and the vital importance of reliable and punctual cross-Channel transport to thousands of business in Britain and Europe.

"Our rapidly growing freight business is increasingly integrated across road and rail as well as sea. Many of the loads which cross the English Channel on our ships come via lorries from Central and Eastern Europe and we are also seeing more shipments via trains from Spain and the South of France."

"We expect growing populations on both sides of the English Channel to continue to drive higher freight volumes in the years ahead and our door-to-door service is ideally suited to the requirements of exporters across the continent of Europe."

Items transported in large quantities on P&O Ferries' English Channel fleet include fresh fruit and vegetables, wine and beer, white goods, building materials and components for production lines. The company also believes that their new rail terminal in the northern Romanian city of Oradea, which will facilitate the onward movement of goods to Britain from the Silk Road and became operational last year, will further boost their figures in the coming years as the China-Europe rail links continue to expand.