Transmanche Ferries

Transmanche Ferries is a ferry company that operates the Newhaven – Dieppe route across the English Channel. Transmanche Ferries was formed after P&O Stena Line decided to close the Newhaven – Dieppe route on the 31 January 1998.

Hoverspeed reopened the route in April 1999, however this service ended in 2004. Comprised of public bodies, including the General Council of Seine-Maritime, the towns of Dieppe and Fécamp as well as three Chambers of Commerce, Transmanche Ferries re-opened the route early in 2001. In 2006, the Seine-Maritime released a tender to run the Transmanche Ferries services and in December 2006 it was announced that Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) had been the successful bidder to run the service.

In February 2012 DFDS and LD Lines launched a joint service between Dover and Calais. DFDS Seaways France (New Channel Company A/S) was created by merging certain LD Lines and DFDS Seaways routes into a new company. The routes involved were LD Lines Portsmouth-Le Havre and Newhaven-Dieppe routes and DFDS Seaways Dover – Dunkerque route. DFDS Seaways France was 82% owned by DFDS with the remaining 18% owned by Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA). Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) sold their share in DFDS Seaways France (New Channel Company A/S) to DFDS in late 2014 when the venture was fully incorporated into the DFDS Group’s passenger shipping activities.

In October 2014 DFDS had its operational contract for the Newhaven-Dieppe route extended for a further year to secure the service. This contract was extended further in May 2016 for another four years until May 2020.