LD Lines
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| Founded | 2005 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Suresnes, France |
| Area served | English Channel Bay of Biscay |
| Key people | Pierre Gehanne, Chairman |
| Services | Passenger transportation Freight transportation |
| Parent | Louis Dreyfus Armateurs |
| Website | www.ldlines.com |
LD Lines is a French shipping company. It is predominantly a freight operator, with both deep-sea and ferry operations, but also operates some passenger services. Its ferry routes are on the English Channel and Mediterranean Sea.
The company is a subsidiary of the Louis Dreyfus Group.
Contents |
[edit] Current Routes
[edit] Le Havre - Portsmouth
LD Lines' English Channel operations commenced in October 2005, operating between Portsmouth, England and Le Havre, France. This service was introduced following the withdrawal of P&O Ferries' long-standing operation on this route.
Initially there was one sailing per day in each direction, with the Portsmouth-Le Havre sailing taking place overnight. This utilised one vessel, the MS Norman Spirit, which is ironically a former P&O vessel (used on their Dover-Calais route until May 2005). In 2008 the Norman Voyager was introduced on the route, she was withdrawn in September 2009 and chartered to Celtic Link Ferries for service between Cherbourg and Rosslare and Cherbourg and Portsmouth. In November 2009 Norman Spirit was moved to the Dover-Boulogne route, her place was taken by Cote d'Albatre which remained on the route until the Norman Spirits return in 2011.
On July 13, 2007 it was reported that LD Lines had ordered a new ro-pax ferry for the route from Singapore Technologies Engineering, with an option for another ship of the same type.[1] The ship, which will be capable of carrying 1215 passengers will enter service in 2010 and be named Norman Leader.[2] She will be used on the route Le Havre - Portsmouth. On 17 March 2011, the contract for the purchase of the vessel was cancelled according to press release issued by ST Marine dated 19 March 2011. Reasons given for the cancellation are the delays and questions about the tonnage. The Norman Spirit resumed sailing on the Portsmouth - Le Havre route in early 2011 but was chartered to DFDS Seaways in November 2011 to increase capacity on the Dover-Dunkirk route following the collapse of Seafrance[3]. Norman Spirit's place was taken by the Norman Voyager.
[edit] Dieppe - Newhaven
LD Lines was one of five companies invited to tender for the operation of Transmanche Ferries service between Dieppe and Newhaven. P&O Stena Line operated the route until 1998 after which Hoverspeed operated the route until 2004. Because the French government did not want the route to be lost, they started a new subsidised company by the name of Transmanche Ferries in April 2001. After five years of successful service and the arrival of two newbuilds, the government decided to tender the line in a concession. The contract to operate the service was awarded to LD Lines on 21 December 2006. For this service they will receive an annual subsidy of up to €14.6 million. LD Lines commenced sailings on this route on 1 May 2007. In addition to three round trips between Dieppe and Newhaven LD Lines started a single round trip per day between Le Havre and Newhaven during high season using the MS Seven Sisters. However in August 2008 they announced that this service would not be continued. Currently there are two sailings per day each way, one in the morning and one in the evening, using the Seven Sisters.
[edit] Saint-Nazaire - Gijón
LD Lines will launch a Saint-Nazaire-Gijón service the 2nd of September 2010 using the Norman Bridge. This route receives a European Union subsidy as part of its Motorways of the Sea project. Such was the success of the service the Norman Bridge was replaced by the larger Baltic Amber which was renamed Norman Asturias.
[edit] Dover - Calais
LD Lines and DFDS Seaways announced on 7 February 2012 that they would be launching a joint service between Dover and Calais commencing on 17 February 2012 using the Norman Spirit[4]. The two companies had previously submitted a joint bid for the assets of Seafrance which was turned down[5].
[edit] Former Routes
[edit] Ramsgate - Ostend
LD Lines began operated this route from 18 March 2010 in partnership with TransEuropa Ferries, using the Norman Spirit, which has been renamed the Ostend Spirit. They also sold space on a TransEuropa Ferries vessel, the Larkspur. In March 2011, TransEuropa Ferries terminated their agreement with LD Lines and the chartered Norman Spirit was returned to LD lines.
[edit] Le Havre - Rosslare
n November 2008 LD Lines opened a weekly passenger and freight service between Le Havre and Rosslare, Republic of Ireland. The Norman Voyager operated on the route departing from Le Havre on Fridays and returning from Rosslare on Saturdays. The crossing time was 20 hours [6]. A significant customer of this service was Citroen who use the route to transport new cars to Ireland. The route closed when Norman Voyager was chartered to Celtic Link.
[edit] Dover-Dieppe
In February 2009 the company started sailing between Dover and Dieppe. The service operated daily with a journey time of around 4 hours 15 minutes, using the ferry "Cote d'Albatre". This was the first time that these two ports had been connected with a ferry service. The Dover-Dieppe service ceased on 29 June 2009, due to lack of traffic.
[edit] Dover - Boulogne
LD Lines and Boulogne Chamber of Commerce announced on 4 July 2008 that LD Lines would open a service between Boulogne and Dover from 1 July 2009[7][8][9]. It was initially planned that the company would initially operate four round trips a day between the two ports using the Norman Spirit with a second ship joining the route at a later date. In January 2009 it was announced by LD Lines that the route would start early and begin operating from 12 February 2009, using the Côte d’Albâtre, and that the Norman Spirit will, therefore, remain on the Portsmouth-Le Havre route.
Because the new Boulogne ferry terminal was not due to be completed until July 2009 the service initially utilised the terminal formerly used by SpeedFerries. For this service and the former Dover-Dieppe route, the Côte d’Albâtre was chartered to LD Lines from the Seine Maritime Council. The Côte d’Albâtre was joined in June 2009 by the 112 metre high speed catamaran Norman Arrow which operated four additional round trips on the route. Norman Arrow was built by Incat and was chartered from Irish based MGC Chartering. She was the largest catamaran operating on the English Channel. [10]. Norman Arrow was deemed unsuccessful on the route and replaced by Norman Spirit in November 2009, she remained on the route until she was switched to a joint service with TransEuropa Ferries. Norman Spirit was replaced by Norman Bridge and Norman Trader.
On 16th August 2010 LD Lines confirmed that the Norman Bridge would be removed from the Dover-Boulogne route on 31st August 2010 and would be used on the St. Nazaire-Gijon route. The remaining services (operated by the Norman Trader) ceased on 5 September 2010.[11]
[edit] Fleet
LD Lines operates a fleet of five RoRo passenger ferries.
| Name | Image | Built | Entered service | Tonnage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cote d'Albatre |  |
2006 | 2006 | 18425 GT | Laid up |
| Norman Asturias | 2007 | 20011 | 10,500 GT | Chartered from Stena Ro Ro | |
| Norman Spirit |  |
1991 | 2005 | 28,883 GT | |
| Norman Voyager | |
2008 | 2008 | 26,904 GT | Chartered from Epic Shipping |
| Seven Sisters |  |
2006 | 2006 | 18,654 GT | Operates for Transmanche Ferries |
[edit] Former Fleet
| Name | Image | Built | Entered service | Tonnage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norman Arrow |  |
2009 | 2009 | 10,500 GT | Charter terminated 2012 |
| Norman Bridge | 1998 | 2010 | 22,152 GT | ||
| Norman Trader | 1998 | 2010 | 22,152 GT |
LD Lines new vessel Norman Leader was due for delivery in summer 2011. The order was cancelled due to "capacities of the vessel not corresponding with those specified originally".[12]
[edit] UK & France Promotional Bus (LDLINESBUS)
LD Lines have been engaging in a hugely popular and innovative promotional tour of the South of England and also Northern France over the beginning part of 2010 and are also continuing on with the LDLINESBUS tour. Customers can win crossing on the network, gain discounts, sign up to the loyalty card scheme and also watch DVDs onboard, get a coffee, have their faces painted or just chill out and book their holidays in the comfort of LD Lines, original 1962 London Routemaster Bus. Social networking is encouraged by customers sharing views and opinions on www.ldlinesbus.com [13]
[edit] References
- ^ [1]
- ^ LD Lines - Pictures of the New Building!
- ^ DFDS adds an extra ship to Dover-Dunkirk to help customers cross the Channel without unnecessary delays
- ^ DFDS Seaways and LD Lines launch new Dover-Calais ferry route
- ^ Bid for assets of SeaFrance not accepted
- ^ Rosslare - Le Havre Timetable
- ^ Mer et Marine (in French) - LD Lines ouvre une nouvelle ligne entre Boulogne et Douvres
- ^ La Voix du Nord (in French) - LD Lines en bonne place pour une 2e ligne Boulogne - Douvres
- ^ LD Lines News - LD LINES GRANTED PORT APPROVAL FOR NEW DOVER – BOULOGNE SERVICE IN 2009
- ^ Incat - Sea Trials Success for Incat's third 112 metre wave piercing catamaran
- ^ LD Lines website: Boulogne-Dover
- ^ Cruise Business Online Norman Leader order cancelled, accessed 22 March 2011
- ^ - Catch The Bus now!
