Brittany Ferries Ends Poole to Cherbourg Route After 34 Years
The ferry company cites post-Brexit changes and declining passenger numbers as key factors in discontinuing the service.
Brittany Ferries has ceased operations on its Poole to Cherbourg route, a service that had been running since 1986. The final sailing of the MS Barfleur, which had served the route since 1992, departed this week, three weeks earlier than initially scheduled.
The company stated that changes in operational needs, including the strategic importance of the Rosslare to Cherbourg route for freight traffic post-Brexit, necessitated the closure. "The reality is that, post Brexit, Rosslare to Cherbourg has become a strategically significant route for Brittany Ferries, carrying nearly 25 percent of all freight traffic so we must prioritise," said Christophe Mathieu, CEO of Brittany Ferries.
Matters were compounded by the withdrawal of the Cotentin, which previously served the Rosslare to Cherbourg route, having been sold this month. Additionally, the Commodore Clipper experienced a gearbox failure last month, requiring repairs and further impacting fleet availability. These combined factors led to the earlier-than-planned closure of the Barfleur's service from Poole.
Passengers booked on the Poole to Cherbourg route for the remainder of October will be offered refunds or alternative travel options from Portsmouth. "I know there will be disappointment with this operational change, and I apologise to all those travelling from Poole in the latter half of October," Mathieu added.
While direct services to Cherbourg from Poole have ended, Brittany Ferries will continue to operate fast craft services from Poole to Guernsey and onward to France. The company's website now directs passengers seeking sailings to Normandy to its Portsmouth to Cherbourg and Portsmouth to Caen routes.
According to BBC reports, passenger numbers on Brittany Ferries' routes have seen a significant decline. In 2002, the company carried 547,000 passengers, a figure that dropped to 165,000 in 2025. Over the same period, freight traffic decreased by 94 percent.
On the final day of sailing from Poole to Cherbourg, Captain Nicholas Bohn reflected on the route's history. "The Barfleur has carried millions of passengers, families and commuters and become an iconic part of the Poole Harbour landscape," he said. "It is with some emotion but, above all, immense pride that we prepare to bid these English shores farewell for one last time."