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UK ports await decision on Norway freight service
One of three UK ports will be chosen this month to run a freight ferry service to Norway, opening up new trade movements to mainland Europe. Rosyth, Newcastle and the Humber port complex have all submitted applications to launch the service, which will boost truck movements to and from the chosen port and transform the local economy.
According to the director of the South East of Scotland Transport Partnership, Alex Macauley, the Norwegian consortium Moregruppen is concerned about the difficulties of exporting goods to countries such as France and Germany because of driving legislation. Instead it plans to land in the UK via the Shetland Islands and then use another ferry service to mainland Europe. There could be as many as three sailings a week from Norway.
Rosyth's bid is backed by Scottish MP John Park, who has tabled a motion in Parliament to generate support. He believes a successful bid will transform the deep water port, which received a setback in 2005 when operator Superfast cut back its Zeebrugge freight service to three sailings a week. Park tells CM: "[Rosyth has] comparative advantages over other sites in the UK, in particular the amount of road haulage going down to England from Scotland just now. It's a major transport hub, with a vastly improved road infrastructure."
A spokesman for Associated British Ports, which has submitted an application on behalf of Humber, says: "We are interested in the project and are working towards making it happen. We are a long way from deciding whether it's a port on the south or the north of the Humber, but we have submitted and registered our interest." Newcastle port was unable to comment as CM went to press.
According to the director of the South East of Scotland Transport Partnership, Alex Macauley, the Norwegian consortium Moregruppen is concerned about the difficulties of exporting goods to countries such as France and Germany because of driving legislation. Instead it plans to land in the UK via the Shetland Islands and then use another ferry service to mainland Europe. There could be as many as three sailings a week from Norway.
Rosyth's bid is backed by Scottish MP John Park, who has tabled a motion in Parliament to generate support. He believes a successful bid will transform the deep water port, which received a setback in 2005 when operator Superfast cut back its Zeebrugge freight service to three sailings a week. Park tells CM: "[Rosyth has] comparative advantages over other sites in the UK, in particular the amount of road haulage going down to England from Scotland just now. It's a major transport hub, with a vastly improved road infrastructure."
A spokesman for Associated British Ports, which has submitted an application on behalf of Humber, says: "We are interested in the project and are working towards making it happen. We are a long way from deciding whether it's a port on the south or the north of the Humber, but we have submitted and registered our interest." Newcastle port was unable to comment as CM went to press.
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