London Medway’s unaccompanied freight service between the United Kingdom and France has reached a new milestone, with a two-thirds increase in trade since its inception.
The route across the channel, which is operated by DFDS, has seen a 65% increase in daily units since the start of service in July 2021.
In recent weeks, the service from Sheerness to Calais has reached a new milestone: since its inception, more than 50,000 trailers have been transported on ships in the port.
The partnership was set up in response to growing demand from owners and carriers, who see it as a solution to the ongoing congestion problems and delays in Dover.
It is the latest milestone for the Port Authority, which is part of the Peel Ports Group, which announced earlier in August last year that the number of units had increased by 34% in a two-week period as Dover again struggled with operational problems.
Richard Goffin, Port Director of London Medway, said: “We are immensely proud of how well the DFDS service has performed since it was launched 18 months ago.”
“Reaching 50,000 units for the route feels like a real milestone for everyone involved in the service.”
“The increase in the number of units per day over that period has also proved what we have long claimed, namely that there is a real need for a viable alternative route for the UK supply chain, given the ongoing congestion around Dover and the shift in demand for more unaccompanied services.”
“At Peel Ports, we believe that companies should transport non-perishable cargo through unaccompanied services like ours because they are more reliable, rather than allowing them to travel as escorted cargo, which has multiple points of failure.”
“We look forward to building on our strong working relationship with DFDS in the coming months and expanding this service further and further.”
