Dieppe-Newhaven ferry service: new contract for 2028

A new five-year contract to operate the Dieppe-Newhaven ferry service from 2028 has been put out to tender, with existing operator DFDS Seaways yet to confirm whether it will bid again.

The four-hour crossing in operation since 1825 is one of the oldest regular Channel ferry routes.

The service was saved from closure 25 years ago when local authorities, led by the Seine-Maritime department, took over the route through a public body called the Syndicat mixte de promotion de l’activité transmanche (SMPAT).

At the time, ferry operations were considered structurally loss-making following the opening of the Channel Tunnel in 1994.

SMPAT owns the two ferries and has a majority stake in the company that owns Newhaven port. The service is marketed under the Transmanche Ferries brand.

DFDS Seaways has operated the route since 2013, winning successive five-year contracts in 2018 and 2023. Tickets are sold through the DFDS website.

Around 400,000 passengers, mainly tourists, and over 20,000 lorries use the service each year.

The current contract between SMPAT and DFDS runs until the end of 2027. The new tender, published on September 30, has an estimated value of €271 million excluding VAT and covers five years from January 2028. Applications must be submitted by November 6.

DFDS has not confirmed whether it will bid again, but a spokesman said it would continue operating the service at least until the end of 2027.

Public funding under scrutiny

The arrangement has faced criticism from government auditors and rival operator Brittany Ferries.

In a 2022 report, the regional audit chamber for Normandy (Chambre régionale des comptes Normandie) said SMPAT received €25.8million in subsidies in 2021, mainly from the Seine-Maritime department. The auditors estimated that subsidies since 2001 totalled around €420million.

However, they also warned that ending the arrangement would probably mean the ferry service closed, with “heavy consequences for Dieppe and the area around it”.

In 2025, Brittany Ferries complained to the Tribunal de commerce de Brest and the European Commission's Directorate-General for Competition.

The Brest court suspended proceedings in June 2026 pending the Commission's assessment. A Commission spokeswoman confirmed that the case was still under consideration.

When the complaint was made, Brittany Ferries chairman Jean-Marc Roué said the arrangement “distorted competition” and “removed the route from economic realities”.

SMPAT president Alain Bazille defended the subsidies, saying they were necessary to meet the public service obligations imposed on the operator. These include providing at least 1,690 crossings a year, including during the low season.

Brittany Ferries has not said whether it intends to bid for the new contract.

The Seine-Maritime department has also highlighted the route's economic contribution, estimating that it generates 2.25 million tourist overnight stays each year, brings €219million in spending to France, supports 1,306 jobs nationally and transports merchandise worth €4.8billion.

The tender comes as Brittany Ferries has withdrawn from two other Channel routes.

Its Portsmouth-Le Havre service ended early in September following a technical problem with the Commodore Clipper, while the final Poole-Cherbourg sailing took place on October 12, three weeks ahead of schedule. 

The company cited fleet pressures behind the earlier closure date.