Track plans Boulogne Sur Mer & Outreau etc and Hoverport

[Fat Controller]

I dont understand your last comment re 'direct from Dunkerque'. Desvres is still connected via Samer and Hesdigneul to Abbeville-Boulogne route. The last time I was in Desvres , about a month ago there were wagons .I did not check what they were doing. I just presumed this line was still in use but for what traffic I am unsure. I just love the tortuous single line track route it takes .

What I intended to say was that the coil to and from Desvres doesn't need to stop at the yard at Boulogne, but runs (via Samer) to and from Dunkerque. I sometimes see the train passing on the line between Frethun and Calais.

I wonder what is so special about the rolling mill, as it seems to be considered worth keeping it open, even though its raw materials come from some distance away. According to Arcelor-Mittal's web-site, it specialises in galvanised coil. 

[Monjac]

how about this link.  Often has disused lines shown...

 

https://www.openrailwaymap.org/

 

Martin

 

Wow !!!!   

[MartinB]

Wow !!!! 

 Many an hour can be happily spent using the map site

[Joseph_Pestell]

What I intended to say was that the coil to and from Desvres doesn't need to stop at the yard at Boulogne, but runs (via Samer) to and from Dunkerque. I sometimes see the train passing on the line between Frethun and Calais.

I wonder what is so special about the rolling mill, as it seems to be considered worth keeping it open, even though its raw materials come from some distance away. According to Arcelor-Mittal's web-site, it specialises in galvanised coil. 

Local mayor probably has political influence.

[Monjac]

Local mayor probably has political influence.

 

Yes. That might explain it.

[Fat Controller]

Local mayor probably has political influence.

That's generally why they get elected..It does remind me of the situation in South Wales during my youth, where small steel plants were kept open, partially because they were very specialised, but mainly because the local MP had the ear of a Minister

[Mike Storey]

A large part of the empty quay area is because of the demolition of the steel works. The car-ferry linkspan has been largely unused since the Seacat finished in the mid-1990s, though there have been one or more instances when a car-ferry service has run from Ramsgate. In at least one instance, the directors of the ferry company disappeared, leaving harbour charges unpaid on both sides, and a large bill for fuel in Boulogne.

 

I can't find any record of a defunct service from Ramsgate to Boulogne, but is this the one you mean?  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpeedFerries

[Fat Controller]

I can't find any record of a defunct service from Ramsgate to Boulogne, but is this the one you mean?  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpeedFerries

I think you're correct; I was probably confusing it with one of Thanet Council's grandiose (and ill-considered) schemes which provide the staple news  for the local press.

[Mike Storey]

I think you're correct; I was probably confusing it with one of Thanet Council's grandiose (and ill-considered) schemes which provide the staple news  for the local press.

 

There have certainly been many of those, but there does appear to be a "serious" bid to re-open a passenger service from Ramsgate to Ostend again. It would be a great shame to not to use all the infrastructure that has been built.

[Monjac]

There have certainly been many of those, but there does appear to be a "serious" bid to re-open a passenger service from Ramsgate to Ostend again. It would be a great shame to not to use all the infrastructure that has been built.

 

It was only when I went to see the old Hoverport terminal that I first saw the massive  ferry terminal facilities alongside which have been built and are just lying idle. To my knowledge they have never been used although I stand to be corrected. Before visiting here, when people had talked about the ferry services I automatically thought about the terminal/ ex railway facility which I last saw being used by Seacat by the main town, close to Nausicaa. I think people do not realise how much money the French  Authorities spent building the special harbour  away  from the town centre ramps.. Money wasted because  there is no way that it could compete with Calais and the Shuttle. 

When the Seacat was in service it never used these terminal facilities. So why were they built ?

[mikeharvey22]

It was only when I went to see the old Hoverport terminal that I first saw the massive  ferry terminal facilities alongside which have been built and are just lying idle. To my knowledge they have never been used although I stand to be corrected. Before visiting here, when people had talked about the ferry services I automatically thought about the terminal/ ex railway facility which I last saw being used by Seacat by the main town, close to Nausicaa. I think people do not realise how much money the French  Authorities spent building the special harbour  away  from the town centre ramps.. Money wasted because  there is no way that it could compete with Calais and the Shuttle. 

When the Seacat was in service it never used these terminal facilities. So why were they built ?

Back in Seaspeed SRN4 days one frequent operational problem was the adverse sea conditions which were localised to the coast on the approach to Le Portel. These would have affected the Seacat and conventional vessels using the new ferry installations.

Edited January 27, 2018 by mikeharvey22

[Foulounoux]

Back in Seaspeed SRN$ days one frequent operational problem was the adverse sea conditions which were localised to the coast on the approach to Le Portel. These would have affected the Seacat and conventional vessels using the new ferry installations.

In rough conditions at Bolougne the hovercraft would come along the beach before heading out across the Channel

As observed around 1974 when on. School Travel service week long stay in a hotel on Le Portel sea front

[Gordonwis]

In rough conditions at Bolougne the hovercraft would come along the beach before heading out across the Channel

As observed around 1974 when on. School Travel service week long stay in a hotel on Le Portel sea front

 

 

 

We once travelled on it heading back from Christmas in Geneva, the hovercraft arrived from Dover;  first spraying up sea water spray, then sand, then snow on the Apron!

 

. 

[Gordonwis]

That's generally why they get elected..It does remind me of the situation in South Wales during my youth, where small steel plants were kept open, partially because they were very specialised, but mainly because the local MP had the ear of a Minister

 

 

Notably, Arcelor Mittal also still operates the plant at St Chély d'Apcher in the wastes of Lozère (and which is currently virtually keeping the almost moribund Ligne des Causses open!)

 

Also feels like political back up but probably not at local mayoral level.

 

.

[Red Fox]

It was only when I went to see the old Hoverport terminal that I first saw the massive  ferry terminal facilities alongside which have been built and are just lying idle. To my knowledge they have never been used although I stand to be corrected. Before visiting here, when people had talked about the ferry services I automatically thought about the terminal/ ex railway facility which I last saw being used by Seacat by the main town, close to Nausicaa. I think people do not realise how much money the French  Authorities spent building the special harbour  away  from the town centre ramps.. Money wasted because  there is no way that it could compete with Calais and the Shuttle. 

When the Seacat was in service it never used these terminal facilities. So why were they built ?

 

The new ferry terminal was built around the time some new concept for a large fast ferry, the BGV,  was being talked about in the mid 2000's and also involved Sheerness and if I remember correctly a company that wanted to operate has never managed to operate a ship but was very successful at getting the local papers to write about them and the main man did a runner.....  The new port was intended to be the Hub for a network of these BGV's so that's why it is called 'Hub port de Boulogne-sur-Mer'.

 

Anyway, the Hub port opened in 2009 and was used by LD Lines for their service to Dover using the large high speed catamaran Norman Arrow. LD Lines had run for a few months before from the old Gare Maritime with the Cote D'Albatre from the Newhaven-Dieppe service.  The fast ferry service was replaced later that year with a conventional service first using LD Lines Norman Spirit, now DFDS's Calais Seaways, and then a pair of chartered vessels. The service closed in September 2010.

 

The port is still occasionally used by P&O Ferries as a diversion port during periods of long term disruption in Calais.  It has to be long term disruption to get UK Border staff to move there as they don't seem to bother for one day strikes or port closures.

[Monjac]

The new ferry terminal was built around the time some new concept for a large fast ferry, the BGV,  was being talked about in the mid 2000's and also involved Sheerness and if I remember correctly a company that wanted to operate has never managed to operate a ship but was very successful at getting the local papers to write about them and the main man did a runner.....  The new port was intended to be the Hub for a network of these BGV's so that's why it is called 'Hub port de Boulogne-sur-Mer'.

 

Anyway, the Hub port opened in 2009 and was used by LD Lines for their service to Dover using the large high speed catamaran Norman Arrow. LD Lines had run for a few months before from the old Gare Maritime with the Cote D'Albatre from the Newhaven-Dieppe service.  The fast ferry service was replaced later that year with a conventional service first using LD Lines Norman Spirit, now DFDS's Calais Seaways, and then a pair of chartered vessels. The service closed in September 2010.

 

The port is still occasionally used by P&O Ferries as a diversion port during periods of long term disruption in Calais.  It has to be long term disruption to get UK Border staff to move there as they don't seem to bother for one day strikes or port closures.

 

Thanks for that informative reply. Much appreciated.