NORFOLKLINE has won the Best European Crossing Operator category in this year’s Daily and Sunday Telegraph Travel Awards.

The result at the prestigious annual awards ceremony in London placed Norfolkline ahead of not just other cross Channel companies operating from Dover, but also all Western Channel and North Sea ferry operators.

All votes were cast by readers of the Daily and Sunday Telegraph, and placed second and third respectively were Brittany Ferries and the North Sea operator DFDS.

“We are absolutely delighted to have been chosen as the number one European ferry operator in these awards, which reflects just how much our loyal and growing customer base prefers the unique style of service we provide,” said Wayne Bullen, Norfolkline’s General Manager for the Dover - Dunkerque service.

“Having been operating the Dover - Dunkerque route for just four years, it shows how far we have come as a company and further proof that the way we focus our tourist business on being exclusively for the motorist, greatly appeals to the cross channel market.”

As reported in the Dover Mercury two weeks ago, Norfolkline is making the biggest single, multi-million pound investment on the Channel routes from Dover for many years, with three new purpose-built ferries currently under construction.

The new ferries will each have capacity for 200 cars, 780 passengers, up to 120 freight vehicles and provide a crossing time of one hour 50 minutes. The first is due to enter service in August 2005, followed by the second in December the same year. The third ferry is to be introduced in June 2006.