A CAMPAIGN aiming to bring back a ferry link between Scotland and mainland Europe has progressed a step further after a Scottish MP met with the UK Treasury to discuss funding.
Graeme Downie, the Labour MP for Dunfermline, met with Treasury minister Spencer Livermore as he looked to secure £3 million for the service, the Daily Record reports.
We told back in August how the ferry could be reinstated in 2025 if the Scottish Government is able to help with start-up funding.
And last month, The National exclusively revealed that Downie would meet with the Treasury to discuss it.
Passengers last travelled on the crossing between the Firth of Forth and Zeebrugge before it was shut down in 2010, after which the route became freight only.
DFDS Ferries are hoping to operate a route between Rosyth and Dunkirk, with Downie saying bringing the ferry link back would help bring thousands to Scotland every year.
He added the “small investment” could bring “huge benefits to Fife and Scotland”.
Speaking to the Record, the MP said: “A ferry between Rosyth and Dunkirk would bring 51,000 visitors a year to Scotland and remove 8.1 kilometres of freight traffic from British roads.
“There are barriers at Scottish Government that the SNP will need to overcome as well but I hope working with Treasury ministers we can identify possible routes of funding for the £3m capital investment needed at Rosyth to upgrade basic infrastructure like fencing and security checkpoints.
“For such a small investment, we could see huge benefits to Fife and Scotland, with the support of major local employers like Mowi and Amazon showing the support this already had with businesses who could take advantage of this route.”
The National has approached the Treasury for further comment.
