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DFDS postpones plans to develop services from Newcastle
Ferry operator DFDS has been forced to postpone plans to develop its twice daily service between Newcastle and Amsterdam after cancelling an agreement to acquire two new vessels from Italian ferry operator Moby.
As part of the deal, Moby was supposed to acquire the King Seaways and Princess Seaways ferries currently operating the route. Both are more than 30 years old.
In a statement issued today, DFDS said the agreement, which was due to be completed this month, has been cancelled
"Moby has unfortunately not been able to meet the delivery terms of the agreement," it said. "The agreement has therefore been cancelled. We will continue to explore solutions for a renewal of the ferries on the Amsterdam-Newcastle route in line with our customers’ wishes and our strategic ambitions for the route and for DFDS.
"The two current ferries offer a great service today, and they will continue doing so until a new solution with new ferries is in place. Therefore, this will not change our plans for developing the route, it will merely delay it," added Peder Gellert, EVP and head of DFDS’ Ferry Division.
The two Moby ships, which were due to start operating out of Newcastle early next year, have higher capacity for cars and more modern facilities.
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Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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