Transeuropa Ferries

Transeuropa Ferries

Industry	Freight and passenger transportation
Predecessor	Sally Line
Founded	21 November 1998
Defunct	25 April 2013
Fate	Bankrupt
Headquarters	Ostend, Belgium
Area served	English Channel
Parent	Transeuropa Shipping Lines d.o.o.
Website	www.transeuropaferries.com

Transeuropa ferry Oleander approaching Ostend on 2 August 2005.

Transeuropa ferry Larkspur leaving Ostend in 2006

Transeuropa ferry Eurovoyager leaving Ostend in August 2005

Ferry Ostend Spirit (formerly Pride of Calais) in the harbor of Ostend, December 2012

TransEuropa Ferries was a freight and passenger ferry company operating between Ramsgate, Kent, UK and Ostend, West Flanders, Belgium from 1998 to 2013, with three or more ships. The company suspended operations on 18 April 2013, and on 25 April 2013 the line filed to initiate bankruptcy procedures. ^[1]

History

TransEuropa Shipping Lines d.o.o. (TSL) of Koper, Slovenia ^[2] started a ro-ro freight ferry service between Ramsgate and Ostend on 21 November 1998 following the closure of Sally Line's services and the purchase of assets of Regie voor Maritiem Transport from the Belgian government. TSL's Belgian subsidiary TransEuropa Ferries NV was founded on 1 June 2001 to take over the cross-channel operation. ^[3]

On 20 July 2004 TransEuropa started a car and passenger ferry service from Ostend to Ramsgate to supplement their existing freight service. Foot passengers were not catered for on this crossing, which typically took four to five hours. ^[4] Between 2010 and 2011 TransEuropa Ferries operated a joint service on the route with LD Lines.

The company operated via a direct sales channel, declining to sell through travel agents.

On 18 April 2013 the company stopped sailing and on 25 April is filed for bankruptcy ^[1]

Former Fleet

Vessel	In Service	Status
Larkspur	1999–2013	Laid up after TEF Bankruptcy, scrapped in 2016.
Gardenia	2002–2013	Laid up after TEF Bankruptcy, scrapped in 2016.
Ostend Spirit	2013	Scrapped in 2013.
Laburnum	1993–2003	Scrapped in 2011.
Wisteria	1995–2000	Scrapped in 2007.
Primrose	1998–2010	Scrapped in 2011.
Eurovoyager	1998–2010	Scrapped in 2012.
Roseanne	1999–2003	Became Strofades IV with m.c.c.l.; scrapped 2011 after a kidnapping incident.
Oleander	2001–2010	Became Sherbatskiy with Acciona, scrapped 2015.
Begonia	2002–2005	Now Via Mare.
Wisteria	2005–2006	Became Vronskiy with Acciona. Scrapped in 2021.
Ostende Spirit	2010–2011	Now Isle of Innisfree for Irish Ferries Calais.

References

1. "Ramsgate staff told to go home as TransEuropa Ferries plunged into administration". Kent Online. 26 April 2013. Archived from the original on 30 April 2013.
2. "ShiipingData.com: Transeuropa Shipping Lines" . Retrieved 19 December 2012.
3. "Website TransEuropa Ferries – History (page offline as operations stopped on 18-4-2013" . Retrieved 3 May 2013.
4. "Port of Ostend News – 'Larkspur' sets sail for her official maiden trip on the new passenger service Oostende-Ramsgate". 20 July 2004. Retrieved 4 May 2009.

Bibliography

• Smith, Dean (2015). The TransEuropa Years: 1998–2013. Ramsey, Isle of Man: Ferry Publications. ISBN   9781906608781.