THE long-awaited return of a ferry service linking Rosyth with mainland Europe is dead in the water as Forth Ports pull out of plans to revive the route.
The port operator has today confirmed to the Dunfermline Press that efforts to restore a passenger and freight connection between the town and Dunkirk will not go ahead, despite recent commitments of £6 million in government funding.
Its decision effectively ends hopes of bringing back a direct ferry link between Scotland and continental Europe, with Danish operator DFDS having repeatedly confirmed their plans for a revived service.
The announcement follows just months after both the Scottish and UK governments pledged £3m towards the project, leading to hopes the service was closer to returning than at any point since it ceased operating in 2018.
However, Forth Ports announced today that discussions aimed at finding a viable route back to service had ultimately failed.
A spokesperson said: “After many months of collaborative dialogue between all the relevant parties to seek a long-term sustainable way forward for the resurrection of a European ferry service at the Port of Rosyth, Forth Ports has confirmed that, after careful consideration, these discussions have not been able to be concluded, such that the service will not restart.
“Our position is based on a number of important economic factors which unfortunately impact the long-term viability of a ferry service in Rosyth.”
The company said its focus would now switch to alternative opportunities at the port.
They added: “The Port of Rosyth is an important asset for Scotland and we are committed to exploring a number of business opportunities for the port which will deliver and sustain long-term job creation and economic growth for Rosyth, Fife and Scotland.
“The Port of Rosyth remains a key area for development of the Forth Green Freeport and our focus will now shift to delivering alternative activity at the port.
“We will continue to connect Scotland with the rest of the world through the container terminal at the Port of Grangemouth.”
The decision appears to bring to an end years of efforts to restore a direct ferry connection to mainland Europe.
The previous route to Zeebrugge stopped carrying passengers in 2010 before continuing as a freight-only service. The final sailing took place in 2018 after DFDS withdrew from the route.
Since then, campaigners, politicians and industry figures have sought to bring back a European service, arguing it would boost tourism, freight and trade links while providing Scotland with a direct maritime connection to the continent.
Momentum appeared to be building earlier this year when funding was pledged for border control and customs infrastructure upgrades, one of the final obstacles identified by supporters of the project.
The SNP later matched that commitment with a £3m funding pledge during the Scottish Parliament election campaign.
In March, veteran shipping executive Derek Sloan, who had been leading efforts to restore the route, said he hoped Danish operator DFDS could begin operating a Rosyth-Dunkirk service by the end of 2026 or during the first quarter of 2027.
Dunfermline and Dollar MP Graeme Downie, who has been heavily involved in efforts to bring the service back, described the collapse of the plans as “extremely disappointing”.
He said: “It is obviously extremely disappointing that partners have been unable to identify a viable way forward to bring back a long-term sustainable ferry service from Rosyth to continental Europe.
“I am confident I did everything I could to bring the right people together and help make the service a reality, including securing the promise of £3 million in funding from the UK Government.
“That money had been identified and ring-fenced and I want to thank UK government Ministers for their support.”
Downie said the Scottish Government had an opportunity to demonstrate a similar level of commitment by providing greater clarity over its own funding pledge.
He added: “I cannot know for certain but feel this might have made a difference to the project. Sadly we will never know for sure.
“It looks as though we have reached the end of the road in efforts to restore the service.
“However, no public money has been spent and I will continue to do everything I can to attract investment to Dunfermline and Dollar, create more opportunities for local people and support the growth of our local economy.”
Cowdenbeath MSP David Barratt also described the decision as disappointing but said the information he had received suggested the collapse of the project was not linked to funding.
He said: "I'm extremely disappointed by the decision.
"Fundamentally, it appears that the decision has been made on the basis of the viability of the shipping route. It's not about the question of infrastructure investments and the port itself."
He added: "I think it is also disappointing that Forth Ports have notified the UK Government, but they have not notified the Scottish Government of this. That's the reality.
"So, if the decision was in some way because they were holding back or waiting for the Scottish Government to announce some kind of a funding package, which was not what they were waiting for, then they would have been in touch with the Scottish Government. And that's not the case.
"Graeme Downie's assertion is simply untrue."
Forth Ports thanked those involved in attempts to revive the route, including Downie, the UK Government, Transport Scotland, DFDS and Derek Sloan.
Former MP, Douglas Chapman, spent over a decade as the route’s chief advocate, travelling to Europe to court operators like DFDS and integrating the project into the Rosyth Green Freeport strategy.
