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Historic ferry service to be axed
A North Sea passenger ferry service which has operated out of Harwich for nearly 140 years will be axed in September.
DFDS blamed a combination of dwindling demand and high costs for the withdrawal of sailings between Harwich and Esbjerg in Denmark.
The ferry operator said the level of investment required to meet new environmental standards coming into force next year was the final nail in the coffin for the service which began in 1875.
The last sailing will be on September 29 and the Sirena Seaways, which has operated the route since 2003, will be deployed elsewhere.
Some 110 crew are also expected to be deployed, said DFDS, but eight shore-based jobs at Harwich and six in Denmark are expected to go.
A company spokesman said that the historic route had been "struggling for a long time", despite cost-cutting initiatives including reduced staffing levels and fuel-saving methods introduced.
DFDS Seaways will also cease operating on the Newhaven to Dieppe route from next year due to a decision by the French authorities to stop subsidising the route.
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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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