The new owners of the Rosyth to Zeebrugge ferry have confirmed that they are to axe passenger services on the route.
The news will affect thousands of people who have booked trips on the Scottish Viking, the country’s only direct sea link with Europe.
However, amid the general gloom with which the announcement was met, there was some small measure of cheer for the Fife port.
DFDS Seaways is planning to replace the existing ferry with two roll-on, roll-off ferries, designed to carry freight only.
The Danish company intends to introduce four sailings a week, instead of three, a move welcomed by the Scottish haulage industry.
Passengers will be able to travel on the Scottish Viking until the middle of December, when the ship is due to be withdrawn.
The loss of the passenger service was described as a bitter blow by politicians from across the political spectrum.
Many of them, like MSPs Jim Tolson and Helen Eadie and Councillor Douglas Chapman, had campaigned for years to establish the link.
Those efforts were rewarded in May 2002 when Greek operator Superfast Ferries launched a daily service to Belgium.
It was eventually axed in 2008, but the following year was revived by Norfolkline, which was bought over by DFDS in July this year.
The news was confirmed in a statement issued by the new owner on Friday and caught many completely off-guard.
The company said, “DFDS Seaways is to increase sailings from each port from three departures a week to four and will now operate two ships on the route, allowing freight capacity on the service to be improved.
“However, the route will no longer operate as a combined passenger and freight service.”Recession to blameThe company blamed the recession and said the combined passenger and freight concept had never made money.
As there was no prospect of the situation changing in the longer term, it was left with no option but to pull the plug.
DFDS said, “Operating as a combined passenger and freight ferry, the route has failed to meet any of its financial targets since its launch and has suffered significant losses.
“While bookings over the summer have been, and are still, good, passenger numbers despite the enthusiastic efforts by DFDS Seaways staff achieved only of 60% of expected overall volumes for the year.”
DFDS Group vice-president Andreas Teschl said, “We are aware that the ferry service has provided an important link between Scotland and the continent.
“So it is a matter of deep regret that we have had to take the decision to no longer operate passenger services on the Rosyth to Zeebrugge route in the future.
“We know this decision will be disappointing to many people and we would like to thank all those who have supported us, particularly the Scottish Government, the travel and transport industry, as well as those passengers who have used the service and will continue to use the service until the end of the year.
He added, “However, we do believe the route has a future as a freight-only service and we not only want to keep the route alive, but we want to enhance the service we offer to the freight industry.
“We will, of course, continue our talks with the Scottish Government in order to find possible, economically viable solutions to introduce a passenger service in the future.”
Any passengers booked beyond December 15 will receive refunds. DFDS Seaways is also in talks with the staff who will be affected.