Strong exports sees P&O Ferries handle record level of freight

In a sign of the continuing strength of exports to and from Britain during 2016, the ferry and logistics company handled a record 420,000 freight units at Zeebrugge last year.

Contrary to expectations that the Brexit referendum in June would adversely affect trade, volumes were evenly split between the first and second halves of the year.

This figure surpasses the previous record of 398,650, which was set in 2015, by more than five per cent.

From its Zeebrugge hub, P&O Ferries operates services across the North Sea to Hull and Teesport, as well as Tilbury in Kent.

It also operates incoming rail services to the Belgian port from Central and Eastern Europe.

The terminal was enlarged by 14 hectares at the end of last year, so that it now comprises a fourth berth and significantly enhanced rail infrastructure which will almost double annual capacity to 700,000 freight units.

Janette Bell, Managing Director of P&O Ferries, said: “This robust performance shows that structural demand from continental exporters to Britain is continuing to increase and that our hub at Zeebrugge is the key gateway to ports along the east coast.”

“Our customers tell us that they value the number of sailings we run across the North Sea - 98 every week - and our geographical reach along the length of the UK’s coastline.

“Our services to Teesport are a point of entry for the north of England and by rail to Scotland, our Hull routes serve the M62 corridor to Leeds and across the Pennines to Manchester and Liverpool, and our sailings to Tilbury put exporters within easy reach of London and the M25.”

“P&O Ferries’ competitive advantage comes from the reliability and punctuality of these services as well as our capacity to connect shipments by road and rail, over land and sea, from Eastern Europe to Scotland.”

Dr Ian Kelly, chief executive of Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, told The Yorkshire Post: “Sally Booker and her P & O colleagues working out of Hull are a fabulous team of dedicated professionals.

“These results reflect both their excellence in servicing their customers and the opportunity for greater trade coming through Hull in 2017 and beyond”

P&O Ferries is a leading pan-European ferry and logistics company, sailing on eight major routes between Britain, France, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Holland and Belgium.

It operates 20 vessels which carry more than 10 million passengers, 1.6 million cars and 2.2 million freight units every year.

Together with its logistics division, P&O Ferrymasters, the company also operates integrated road and rail links to countries across the continent including Italy, Poland and Romania.

A P&O Ferrymasters-owned rail terminal in the northern Romanian city of Oradea, which will facilitate the onward movement of goods to Britain from the Silk Road, became operational last year.

P&O Ferries operates ferries from all across the British Isles.

It employes nearly 4,000 people and sales 30,000 times a year.

Its freight subsidiary business, P&O Ferrymasters, began its life as a haulage company based in Preston, Lancashire, in 1953 and initially specialised in moving freight from the UK to Belfast under the name of Northern Ireland Transport Services.