Ferry market 'set for £1bn investment'

The ferry industry could see a number of improvements over the coming years as more than £1 billion is invested in facilities and infrastructure, according to reports.

New ferries will come into operation and facilities will be improved at ports around the UK as a result of the funding, which was announced by the Passenger Shipping Association (PSA).

Stena Line is set to be one of the big beneficiaries from the investment, with £357 million to be spent on two 'superferries' that will sail from Harwich to the Netherlands from 2010, Travel Weekly reports.

P&O Ferries will also be given the capacity to bring two new ferries onto its Dover to Calais crossing from 2010.

Facility improvements could include a new passenger terminal at Portsmouth and a passenger building for Condor Ferries at Weymouth.

PSA director Bill Gibbons said: "Our members handle more than 36 million passenger journeys every year and they have been quietly investing millions of pounds in new ships and services to compete with other forms of travel.

"The results have been impressive – ferry travel is definitely undergoing a revival as people turn away from chaos at airports and look for hassle-free, value travel with short check-in times where there are no luggage limitations."