Eurotunnel to sell Dover-Calais passenger ferries

Eurotunnel's ferry services began operating in August 2012 as MyFerryLink

Eurotunnel has announced its MyFerryLink cross-Channel ferries will be sold to Danish competitor DFDS following a competition ruling.

Eurotunnel bought SeaFrance's ferry business for £51m when that firm went out of business in 2012.

Regulators said it gave Eurotunnel almost half the cross-Channel passenger trade, with ferry and tunnel traffic.

A tribunal ruled Eurotunnel should stop its MyFerryLink service because it was too dominant in cross-channel traffic.

MyFerryLink operates two ferries, with up to 16 daily sailings on the Dover-Calais route. It also has a former SeaFrance freight ship.

A Eurotunnel spokesman said: "The Eurotunnel group has decided to sell its maritime activity, MyFerryLink, as the conditions necessary to develop freely did not exist."

The group said "it holds a binding offer from DFDS for a let to buy sale of the ferries, Rodin and Berlioz".

Eurotunnel has asked for a competition ruling to be lifted in relation to its freight ship, Nord Pas-de-Calais, so it can continue operating.