Finnlines, part of the Grimaldi Group and one of the world’s largest operators of RoRo vessels, is set to launch a new freight service from Finland to London Medway, a port located in Sheerness, at the mouth of the Rivers Thames and Medway. The port is just 50 miles (80km) from Central London. The new service will also call at ports in Belgium and Spain.
The new Helsinki to Sheerness RoRo service makes its maiden call at the UK port on Monday, 23 September 2024. The service is part of Finnlines’ shake-up to its route network. The company plans to service the route with three Finneco-class RoRo vessels, calling at London Medway once a week. The Medway port is downstream from other berths, including the larger ports at Tilbury and London Gateway. It therefore offers a quicker connection to London and Southeast England markets.
Medway evolving
As part of its strategy to expand its route network, Finnlines is making a significant change to its services in the UK. The company says the new connection will provide customers with shorter transit times and increased cargo capacity. “Customers can access the entire Finnlines and the Grimaldi Group network via Zeebrügge and Antwerp [in Belgium], which provides expanded business opportunities,” the company said in a statement.
London Medway is located on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, with a short sea connection to the Continent. That’s proving popular with operators, and the port is busy with new traffic. Sheppy is effectively onshore, with road and rail bridges covering the short channel to the UK mainland. The port itself handles a mix of traffic. The passenger railway line is adjacent, but the port’s own freight railway is moribund. Nevertheless, there is access to the UK motorway network, putting London a little more than one hour distant. “London Medway is always evolving,” said a statement from the operators, Peel Ports. “We’re currently reviewing additional RoRo capacity and developing a construction hub on-site, which would unlock even greater opportunities and cement our position as the best-connected port within reach of London.”
Ambitions for growth
Ambitions are for a wide catchment for the service, and the carrier has big ambitions for growth on the route. It will be operated by three Finneco-class hybrid RoRo vessels, each with a cargo capacity of 5,800 lane metres, equivalent to around 400 trailers. The vessel layout is designed to enable conveying cargo up to a height of seven metres. “The launch of our new service from Sheerness secures an important trade route between England and the Continent,” said Merja Kallio-Mannila, Finnlines’ Commercial Director. “We are constantly looking for new growth opportunities.”
“Location is everything,” said Richard Goffin, the Port Director. “London Medway’s proximity to the nation’s capital and distribution networks means it is perfectly placed to connect importers and exporters with their markets. We expect this new service will be popular with both established and emerging markets, which are seeing strong growth in the South-East of the UK, and in particular forest products which are in high demand. London Medway also handles a vast array of cargo including automotive, steel and RoRo, so we expect a wide variety of commodities to be transported on Finnlines’ versatile fleet, placing the port as a key interchange between Scandinavia and Iberian markets.”