by Graham Tutthill

The seacat Norman Arrow will be making more crossings between Dover and Boulogne next year.

Ferry operator LD Lines this week confirmed plans to increase the sailing frequency from the current four to five return sailings daily from early 2010.

The company has also announced that as a result of the appeal amongst tourist and freight customers of the Norman Arrow service the conventional ferry Cote d’Albatre will not be returning to Dover.

The ship, which had been making two trips to Boulogne and one to Dieppe, was moved back to the LD Transmanche Ferries’ Newhaven-Dieppe route after the Dover-Dieppe service was scrapped.

Managing director Christophe Santoni said: "We are very encouraged by the early response to the new Norman Arrow service, which is clearly demonstrating an ever-increasing demand from tourist and freight customers preferring to cross the channel in just one hour.

"It was never our long term intention to maintain a combined high speed ferry and conventional ferry service choice on the route.

"We are already in the advance planning stages of increasing sailing frequency of the Norman Arrow and ultimately adding a second high speed ferry to the route, to provide a unique shuttle-like operation between Dover and Boulogne."