Geest Lines set for Portsmouth return after two year absence

In what must be welcome news to the 32 staff at Geest’s headquarters in Fareham, Hampshire, the line is set to return to Portsmouth after shifting its calls to Dover in January 2018 to accommodate scheduling for its new, larger vessels.

Geest managing director, Peter Dixon, said: “We left Portsmouth because of scheduling difficulties when we replaced our fleet with five larger and newer ships, increasing our capacity by 40%.

“The port at Dover was able to accommodate us and enabled our business to continue and grow.

“But changes at Portsmouth mean it can now handle our larger and modified service and it makes sense to return.

The company had called in Portsmouth for 16 years prior to moving to Dover.

Dixon also clarified that the move back to Portsmouth had “nothing to do with Brexit” and was simply a business decision.

Steve Williams, operations director for Portsmouth terminal operator Portico, commented: “Together we have been able to accommodate their requirements and also create stable foundations for existing contracts.

“We have been through a significant restructure so we’re confident we have the right resources in place. Industry has changed, it’s less labour intensive but we now have a modern, efficient and capable team able to handle our customers’ demands.”

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