P&O Ferries has announced the highest freight volumes  so far on its new dedicated lift unit freight service between Zeebrugge and Hull, with Q2 seeing a fifth consecutive quarter of growth. The integrated ferry and logistics company transported 8,532 lift units on the dedicated freight service between April and June – an increase of 4% on the first quarter and the best three month period since the route began in spring last year.

The news comes a month after P&O Ferries significantly raised capacity on its Zeebrugge-Teesport route by deploying the 18,000 ton Estraden, thereby create the fastest and easiest gateway to Scotland for exporters.

“We designed this new freight service around the needs of our customers, who told us that reliability and the lowest possible terminal waiting times were what mattered most to their business. It is encouraging seeing more and more of them making use of it,” said Nick Pank, Head of Freight.

“Our 76 sailings across the North Sea every week – to Teesport and Tilbury as well as Hull – provide an unrivalled set of options for exporters to and from Britain and our rail hub at Zeebrugge is increasingly acting as a conveyor belt for goods produced across the continent of Europe. We are at our best when we help our customers solve the most difficult logistical challenges, over sea and land,” he continued.

Operating on the route is the 5,000 ton container ship Elisabeth, which makes three round trips per week between Zeebrugge and Hull, complementing P&O Ferries’ existing combined tourist and freight service.

P&O Ferries is a leading pan-European ferry and logistics company, sailing 27,000 times a year on eight major routes between Britain, France, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Holland and Belgium. It operates more than 20 vessels which carry 8.4 million passengers and 2.3 million freight units annually.