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BR's plan for cross channel freight
Page 40
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• At last week's Press conference on board the m.v. Vortigern, British Railways' latest allpurpose passenger, vehicle and freight ferry, Mr. David McKenna, the chairman of the railways Shipping and International Services Committee, said that as each passenger ship became obsolete it would be replaced by the multi-purpose type vessel.
Future BR policy, he said, was to have two main Classes of ship—the specialized container ship and the multi-purpose ship, able to work various routes with different types of cargo.
The Vortigern will, except for periodical maintenance breaks, be in service for the whole year. In the peak summer holiday season it will ferry between Dover and Boulogne, carrying passengers and cars, and at other times between Dover and Dunkirk, acting as a commercial vehicle and train ferry.
The rosin deck is equipped with 1,100ft of rail track which can accommodate 24 40ft rail wagons or 40 30ft lorries. In winter, trade cars take the place of holiday traffic.
British Rail claims that each year the ship will make 1,000 round trips, carrying 250,000 passengers, 65,000 cars, 3,000 lorries and about 150,000 tons of rail freight.
In 1968 8,500 roll-on /off lorries were carried and over 14,300 cars were exported, with another 23,700 imported.
Rates and booking information can be obtained from the General Manager, BR Shipping and International Services Division, Liverpool Street, London EC2.