Guernsey and Jersey split widens on ferry deals

Thursday 02 January 2025

Jersey has signed a 20-year contract with DFDS to run its ferry service, further entrenching a split in approaches adopted by the islands.

The deal is five years longer than Guernsey’s contract with Brittany Ferries, making any hope of working together in the future even dimmer.

No details have emerged yet about any break clauses in the Jersey deal.

Jersey's government put pen to paper on New Year's Eve on the contract which will run from March.

DFDS has yet to confirm details of its timetable, having earlier promised to do so before the end of last year.

The 20-year contract for passenger and freight will include routes from Jersey to Poole, Portsmouth and St Malo.

Jersey's Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel said: "I'm delighted we have signed a contract with DFDS which will enable us to provide the best possible ferry services for Islanders for the next 20 years."

The States of Jersey said DFDS had committed to "greater frequency" of ferries to the UK and France "in peak periods" and investing in three new ferries by 2032.

Guernsey signed its 15-year contract with Brittany on 4 December, which as well as the break clause also has an option for a five-year extension.

Last month, Brittany Ferries won the opening stages of legal action against Jersey over how it handled the initial joint tender process and the follow up contract bids.

A failure to fully tell the company why its bid failed the joint process as well as arguments about apparent bias will be taken forward in a judicial review against Jersey's Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel.

There will be a further hearing before the Jersey Royal Court on 13th and 14th January.