Eurotunnel reluctantly sells its ferries to Danish rival DFDS

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It would appear that the latest, intriguing chapter of machinations in the cross-Channel sea freight business is about to close, after Eurotunnel announced that it has agreed to sell two ro-pax ferries to competitor DFDS. The vessels had been operated by ex-SeaFrance employees that formed a collective when the state-owned ferry line went into bankruptcy, but UK competition authorities ruled that Eurotunnel’s subsequent ownership of the vessels was anti-competitive, given that it already held a sizeable chunk of the market through its rail operations. The workers’ collective had been unable to raise the funds to buy the ships itself.