Tim Waggott, Director of Business and Support Services at the Port of Dover and Jean-Michel Giguet, Chief Executive of MYFERRYLINK

by business editor Trevor Sturgess

A new cross-Channel ferry service is launching today.

My Ferry Link replaces SeaFrance, the French-owned operator that was liquidated in January.

It uses former SeaFrance employees and the same ships - Berlioz, Rodin and Nord-Pas de Calais.

The new company has created hundreds of jobs in France and around 50 in Dover.

But a row has erupted after the ferries were controversially bought by Channel Tunnel operator Eurotunnel and leased back to a new company formed by a French co-operative of former SeaFrance workers.

Rival operators P&O Ferries and DFDS/LD Lines have both urged the Office for Fair Trading and its French counterpart to probe competition issues.

They are concerned Eurotunnel - a monopoly player on the sub-sea route - should be allowed to grab a share of the ferry market, even though the ships are leased to a third party.

P&O has invested £300m in two new superferries and still has the major share of the cross-Channel ferry route. But previous complaints about unfair French public subsidy for SeaFrance was upheld by competition watchdogs.

Robin Wilkins, the UK managing director of My Ferry Link, is spearheading the Dover side of the My Ferry Link operation.

He told KentOnline the company’s financial arrangements and relationship with Eurotunnel would be confirmed after the competition authorities had reported.

He admitted it was not the best time of the year to launch a new service, but timing had been out of the company’s control.

A website would be up and running soon to take bookings, he added.

Mr Wilkins expected the new service, which would have a distinctive French flavour, to appeal to passenger and freight customers and he was excited by the opportunity to create something new and different.

"I’m looking forward to a reliable high quality service we can take to the market with complete confidence," he said.

"It’s nice to have a blend of both some of the staff that were in the previous company and some newcomers and I think we’re going to be very successful.

"It will take time, it’s a long-term project, but I would like to pilot it through the opening phase of its existence."

The first ferry under the new banner was due to arrive in Dover at 6am today.