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P&O on song as freight surges

[ October 10, 2016   //   ]

P&O Ferries says its Zeebrugge-Teesport route has seen a 16% increase in freight units in the third quarter of the year compared with 2015.

Between July and September, P&O Ferries’ two ships on the route – the Bore Song and the Mistral – carried 22,499 freight units ocompared with 19,349 in the same period last year.

North Sea head of sales development, Nick Pank, said: “Our freight volumes between Zeebrugge and Teesport have risen encouragingly in the last twelve months as continental customers have become more aware of just how convenient a gateway this north-eastern port is for cities in the north-west such as Manchester and Liverpool. Coupled with the outstanding connectivity to Scotland – trains run daily from Teesport to the Scottish station of Mossend – it is not difficult to see why more exporters are choosing the route.”

There had been strong volumes of trade cars and bulk tanks of wine and brandy, he added.

The 25,000 ton Bore Song and the Mistral sail six times a week each between Zeebrugge and Teesport – a journey which takes 15 hours.

P&O Ferries announced in July that it is doubling port capacity at Zeebrugge to around 700,000 units a year with a fourth berth and significantly enhanced rail capacity. In addition to Teesport, P&O Ferries also serves Tilbury and Hull from Zeebrugge, which has rail links across the continent including Romania, Italy and Poland.

* Eurotunnel said that September saw record-breaking monthly truck shuttle traffic for the eleventh consecutive month. Freight traffic was up 11% compared to September 2015, with 136,590 vehicles transported. For January-September, there was a 12% increase in traffic compared with the same period of 2015.

 

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