North Sea Ferries

North Sea Ferries
GenreFerry company
Founded1965
Defunct1996
FateMerged with P&O North Sea Ferries
SuccessorP&O Ferries
Headquarters
Kingston upon Hull
,
England
Area served
Belgium, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Rotterdam, Hull, Zeebrugge
ServicesPassenger transportation, freight transportation
Parent1980-1996: P&O and Nedlloyd

North Sea Ferries was a ferry operator who ran services between the United Kingdom and Belgium and The Netherlands.[1]

History

Background

The company was originally formed in 1965 by a consortium of six European concerns (two British, two German and two Dutch)[1] to operate a ferry service between Kingston Upon Hull and Rotterdam Europoort. The original consortium members were Tyne Tees Steam Shipping Company (at that time part of Coast Lines), General Steam Navigation Company (majority owned by The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company), Argo Reederei Richard Adler & Söhne, A. Kirsten, Koninklijke Nederlandse Stoomboot-Maatschappij and Phs. van Ommeren.[2]

Early Years

Even before commencement of the Hull-Rotterdam service, North Sea Ferries were already exploring the potential for new routes between Britain and Europe.[3] The Rotterdam service commenced operations in December 1965.[1]

The remains of Coast Lines was acquired by P&O in 1971[4] and combined with the operations of General Steam Navigation to form the basis of P&O Ferries,[5] with P&O therefore now directly holding an increased stake in the North Sea Ferries joint venture. A. Kirsten were declared bankrupt in October 1975.[6]

Takeover

By 1980, Van Ommeren and Argo Reederei were reported as having little interest in North Sea Ferries and a proposal was made for their remaining minority stakes to be sold to the other two remaining partners in the consortium[7] (KNSM having merged with Nedlloyd). Thus, North Sea Ferries became jointly owned by P&O and Nedlloyd.[8][1]

In 1987, the Princess Margaret Ferry Terminal was built under the operation of North Sea Ferries. The building is now under the ownership of Associated British Ports and is operated by P&O Ferries.

Final Years

North Sea Ferries operated until 1996, when Nedlloyd's share of the venture was purchased by P&O giving them sole ownership.[9] After this point operations were merged into P&O Operations as P&O North Sea Ferries as part of the reorganisation of P&O Ferries arising from the merger of their Dover Straits services with those of Stena Line.[10] P&O North Sea Ferries was then merged with P&O Ferries in 2003.[11]

Fleet

Norland in 1979 at Rotterdam
Norstar in 1984 at Hull
Norsun in 1987
Name Built In service Tonnage History
Norwave 1965 (AG Weser, Bremerhaven, Germany) 1965–1987 4,000 GT Scrapped at Drapetzona Shipyard in 1988 after an explosion[1]
Norwind 1966 (AG Weser, Bremerhaven, Germany) 1965–1987 4,000 GT Scrapped at Aliaga Ship Breaking Yard in 1995 after fire the previous year at Piraeus[1][12]
Norland 1974 (AG Weser, Bremerhaven, Germany) 1974–1996 12,998 GT (before lengthening)
15,047 GT (after lengthening)		 Served as a troop ship during Falklands War, lengthened in 1987, scrapped at Alang Ship Breaking Yard in 2010[1][13]
Norstar 1974 (AG Weser, Bremerhaven, Germany) 1974–1996 12,998 GT (before lengthening)
15,047 GT (after lengthening)		 Lengthened in 1987, scrapped at Alang Ship Breaking Yard in 2010[1][14]
Norsea
Norsky		 1979 (Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co, Tamano, Japan) 1981–1986
1986-1996		 6,310 GRT Scrapped at Aliaga Ship Breaking Yard in 2011[1][15]
Norsea 1987 (Govan Shipbuilders, Glasgow, Scotland) 1987–1996 31,598 GT Scrapped at Aliaga Ship Breaking Yard in 2025[1][16]
Norsun 1987 (Nippon Kokan K.K., Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Japan) 1987–1996 31,598 GT Scrapped at Aliaga Ship Breaking Yard in 2025[1][17]
Norcape 1979 (Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co, Tamano, Japan) 1988–1996 6,310 GRT Scrapped at Aliaga Ship Breaking Yard in 2011[1][18]
Norbank 1993 (Van der Giessen de Noord, Krimpen aan den IJssel, Netherlands) 1993–1996 Currently in service (as of 2025) as DP World Express with DP World[19]
Norbay 1994 (Van der Giessen de Noord, Krimpen aan den IJssel, Netherlands) 1994–1996 Currently in service (as of 2025) with P&O Ferries[20]

Routes

Former North Sea Ferries routes today

The former North Sea Ferries route between Hull and Rotterdam continues to be operated by P&O Ferries.

A service between Ipswich and Rotterdam was latterly operated by Luxembourg-based CLdN. This route was closed by the company in August 2012.[21]

Sailings by P&O between Hull and Zeebrugge ceased in January 2021[22] due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, although it was noted at the time of the closure announcement by Darren Procter of the RMT Union that it had been a "challenging route for a number of years".[23]

In July 2025, P&O Ferries announced it was closing the route between Middlesbrough and Zeebrugge[24] at the end of the month to focus on other routes.[25]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Mitchell, Barry (1992). North Sea ferries: ships of the night (repr ed.). Beverley: Hutton Press. ISBN 978-1872167305.
  2. ^ "North-East Firm has Stake in Ship Group". The Journal. 9 June 1964. p. 2.
  3. ^ "Ferry Group Plans More Services". The Daily Telegraph. 19 February 1965. p. 19.
  4. ^ "Curious Forecast". The Guardian. 1 January 1971. p. 14.
  5. ^ "General Steam Navigation Company". P&O Heritage. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  6. ^ "A. Kirsten short story". Sammlung A. Kirsten Memorabilia.
  7. ^ "P&O to Share Ferry Group". The Daily Telegraph. 5 January 1980. p. 23.
  8. ^ Widdowes, Nick (1992). Car Ferries of the British Isls 1992/93. Kilgetty: Ferry Publications. pp. 22–23. ISBN 1-871947-12X.
  9. ^ The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company and Stena Line AB - A report on the proposed merger. Monopolies and Mergers Commission. November 1997. Archived from the original on 18 March 2010.
  10. ^ Smith, Peter C. (2012). Offshore ferry services of England and Scotland. Barnsley: Pen & Sword. p. 198. ISBN 978-1-84884-665-4.
  11. ^ Mark, Dave (16 October 2002). "North Sea Ferries name and jobs go". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  12. ^ "M/S NORWIND". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  13. ^ "M/S NORLAND". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  14. ^ "M/S NORSTAR". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  15. ^ "M/S IBEX". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  16. ^ "M/S NORSEA". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  17. ^ "M/S NORSUN". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  18. ^ "M/S TIPPERARY". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  19. ^ "M/S NORBANK". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  20. ^ "M/S NORBAY". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  21. ^ Brodie, Duncan (11 August 2012). "Ipswich: Jobs go as Rotterdam freight ferry service is axed". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  22. ^ "Former Hull to Zeebrugge ferries for sale after route closes". BBC News. 18 February 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  23. ^ "P&O to axe Hull to Zeebrugge route due to Covid impact". BBC News. 1 October 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  24. ^ Jasper, Christopher. "P&O axes crucial ferry route to continental Europe". No. 7 July 2025. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  25. ^ "P&O Ferries To Close Its Teesport-Zeebrugge Service At The End Of July". Shippax. 8 July 2025. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
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