Prospects for a new ferry service between Central Scotland and Western Europe moved a step closer last week. The initiative was raised in a debate at the Scottish Parliament involving members of the former coalition government of the Green Party and the currently minority ruling Scottish National Party.
Efforts are underway to establish a new ferry connection between Rosyth near Edinburgh and Dunkirk in Northern France. The multinational effort is backed by Danish operator DFDS, which has proposed a service. Emotively dubbed “Project Brave,” the operator and administrations on both sides of the North Sea are aiming to commence operations in the latter half of 2025 or early 2026. The plan includes three weekly sailings catering to both freight and passengers. The estimated crossing time would be twenty hours.
First connection in eight years
Member of the Scottish Parliament, Mark Ruskell of the Green Party raised the matter with John Swinney, the First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party. Mr Ruskell has constituency responsibilities for Mid Scotland and Fife, which includes the port at Rosyth. He asked the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to secure a direct ferry route between Scotland and France.
Rosyth was last connected with the European mainland in 2018. Back then, a service initiated in 2002 by Superfast Ferries offered a combined passenger and freight service to Zeebrugge in Belgium. That last direct maritime link between Scotland and mainland Europe underwent several operator changes. In 2010, DFDS Seaways transitioned the service to freight-only. However, concerns mounted over the route’s economic viability and, following a fire aboard the vessel “Finlandia Seaways”, the route was discontinued in 2018.
Direct routes with Europe
“The Scottish Government remains wholly convinced that Scotland’s future would be best served by being a member of the European Union, and we are determined to support the transport connections that will enable that to be possible,” said John Swinney, the First Minister, taking the opportunity to state his party political stance. “Improving our transport and trade links to the European mainland is even more important given the challenges that we face at this time.”
Last week, Fiona Hyslop, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport in the Scottish Government, met Mr Ruskell to discuss the progress on Project Brave. “I know that she is happy to continue communicating regularly with potential operators and with Scotland’s main ports so that Scottish exporters and passengers can have more direct routes to and from Europe,” said Mr Swinney.
Brexit border bureaucracy
The political element in the debate is not without merit. Mark Ruskell told Parliament that DFDS was eager to move forward and begin sailings, with a new target of early 2026. The owners and operators of Rosyth – Forth Ports Group – are also enthusiastic to see the project launched, not least in support of their Green Freeport status at the port and recent development of the port, as reported by WorldCargo News in January this year.
However, Mr Ruskell explained that the delay was not down to technical matters. “The port of Dunkirk has bought into the idea and the Westminster [UK] Government is also supportive. The only thing that is getting in the way is Brexit bureaucracy regarding the location of a border control post. Time is ticking away because a resolution must be found by the end of June in order to secure the service.” Brexit is common parlance for the UK’s departure from the European Union at the end of 2020.
Remove any obstacles
The First Minister responded, saying that the Scottish Government is fully behind the project. “I welcome the assessment given by Mr Ruskell. I know that the Cabinet Secretary for Transport [Fiona Hyslop] is very much engaged on the question and is familiar with the border control issue that is causing some difficulty,” he said.
“[Fiona Hyslop] has discussed the issue with Mr Ruskell and with Annabelle Ewing [Mark Ruskell’s parliamentary predecessor and an active member of the business community around Rosyth], who has also been pursuing the issue. We have had good and constructive discussions with DFDS, Forth Ports and various other interested parties. I assure Mr Ruskell that the Government would welcome the ferry route and that we will do everything that we can to remove any obstacles that are in the way.”