Seafrance fails to resume services

Monday, 18 Nov, 2011 0

Cross-Channel ferry company SeaFrance did not resume services yesterday as planned.

The operator had hoped to resume services again after being placed under the control of the administrators.

The Dover-Calais operator has been given until January 28 to attract buyers, or its services will stop altogether.

It had hoped to bring back services before the weekend but its website still says that commercial activities of the company will resume “as soon as all the issues concerning safety and security are resolved”.

Rival DFDS and LD Lines have jointly offered to buy the business for â‚¬5m while an employee co-operative has offered â‚¬1 for the ferry operator but a French court ruled today that both offers were too low.

The Tribunal de Commerce in Paris said SeaFrance, which was placed in administration after losing â‚¬240m last year, was worth more.

The company is owned by French rail operator SNCF and SeaFrance rival P&O Ferries had argued that if the business were to be sold to DFDS or the employees for less than its market value it would amount to illegal state aid.

Passengers with tickets to travel on SeaFrance Dover to Calais sailings can get information from a helpline on 0044 (0) 845 458 0666.

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Bev

Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.

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