o/t bad news for Fleetwood but good news for Heysham Port

[Heysham_Shrimp]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-la ... e-11899472

[mrpotatohead]

Strange place Fleetwood, done a lot of work there this year, I do not imagine that people using the ferry spent a penny or a second more than they had to there.

[Loyalsupporter]

Even though it may look good for Heysham port, the company Stenna have taken over (DFDS) used to run ships to Belfast and Dublin, Stenna are not interested in Dublin - and there is also another company on Heysham port who already ship freight to Larne

the next few weeks are nervous times for those employed by the shipping companies on the port, even steam packet are struggling, now Graylaw have their own freight service from Glasson Dock an Liverpool to the IOM

[4G63]

Stena haven't taken over DFDS. Stena have bought two routes.

DFDS still exist and will be operating Heysham - Dublin
Stena will be operating Heysham - Belfast
Seatruck operate Heysham - Warrenpoint and Larne

[Loyalsupporter]

Stena haven't taken over DFDS. Stena have bought two routes.

DFDS still exist and will be operating Heysham - Dublin
Stena will be operating Heysham - Belfast
Seatruck operate Heysham - Warrenpoint and Larne

To be exact or specific

DFDs dont exist on HPL anymore, all the staff are now Stenna staff (for a short period of time they are still answering the phones as DFDs)

Stenna will be looking after the Heysham Dublin route on behalf of DFDs for the next six weeks until DFDs make a decision as to what they plan to do with the service, there is some suggestion that DFDs may open a freight office on the port (offering jobs to staff ho previously worked for them)

there is an open meeting for the DFDs/Stenna staff next week, with a director from Stenna

[Keith]

the next few weeks are nervous times for those employed by the shipping companies on the port, even steam packet are struggling, now Graylaw have their own freight service from Glasson Dock an Liverpool to the IOM

Steam Racket could actually go under now. Obviously it is the working men & women who will suffer because of years of mismanagement by the idiots in charge. One of the most profitable (and expensive) ferry companies in Europe, owned by an Australian investment bank (Macquarie) who have raised £200,000,000 against a company that has assets of £20,000,000. This was based upon an 'end-user agreement' that gave the Steam Racket exclusive use of the link-span (for roll-on-roll-off ferries). What they'd failed to consider was Mezeron shipping freight then craning it off the ship. This was not considered because, according to the Steam Racket Chief Executive, it was 'old technology'. Old but cheap apparently. Mezeron (who are shipping Graylaw, Tesco & Shoprite) are owned by Dohle, a very large shipping company. Interesting times for Steam Racket staff on both sides of the water sadly.