Regie voor Maritiem Transport
Encyclopedia
Regie voor Maritiem Transport was the Belgian
state-owned ferry
service and operated ferries on the Ostend
-Dover
route under the name Oostende Lines. For the last few years until its demise in February 1997, the ferries from Ostend went to Ramsgate
instead of Dover, in partnership with Sally Line
. The demise of RMT was a direct result of the opening in 1994 of the Channel Tunnel
.
In addition to traditional car ferries, RMT also operated two Boeing Jetfoils (for foot-passengers only) that reduced crossing times from 4 hours to 100 minutes.
In response to the announcement of the Channel Tunnel project, RMT ordered one of the first cross-channel super ferries. The Prins Filip cost $100,000,000, and at 28,828 GRT
was the largest ferry operating on the short sea routes of the English Channel
from 1991 to 2001 (with the introduction of the Seafrance
Rodin
).
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
state-owned ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
service and operated ferries on the Ostend
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
-Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
route under the name Oostende Lines. For the last few years until its demise in February 1997, the ferries from Ostend went to Ramsgate
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
instead of Dover, in partnership with Sally Line
Sally Line
Sally Line UK was a British ferry operator on the English Channel and North Sea.-History:Sally Line was founded in 1981 by Michael Kingshott as a subsidiary of the Finland-based Rederi Ab Sally, and initially marketed as Sally Viking Line, with a livery that was nearly identical with that of...
. The demise of RMT was a direct result of the opening in 1994 of the Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
.
History
On 28 February 1997 the Belgian State closed an important and historical period concerning transport of passengers from and to the UK. The first official crossing ever under the Belgian State took place in 1846, a history spanning 151 years.In addition to traditional car ferries, RMT also operated two Boeing Jetfoils (for foot-passengers only) that reduced crossing times from 4 hours to 100 minutes.
In response to the announcement of the Channel Tunnel project, RMT ordered one of the first cross-channel super ferries. The Prins Filip cost $100,000,000, and at 28,828 GRT
Gross Register Tonnage
Gross register tonnage a ship's total internal volume expressed in "register tons", one of which equals to a volume of . It is calculated from the total permanently enclosed capacity of the vessel. The ship's net register tonnage is obtained by reducing the volume of non-revenue-earning spaces i.e...
was the largest ferry operating on the short sea routes of the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
from 1991 to 2001 (with the introduction of the Seafrance
SeaFrance
SeaFrance is a ferry company based in France that operates ferry services between Calais, France, and Dover, England.SeaFrance is 100% owned by the French railways, SNCF....
Rodin
MV SeaFrance Rodin
MV SeaFrance Rodin is a ropax ferry owned by SeaFrance and operated on their Dover—Calais route. She was built in 2001 by Aker Finnyards in Rauma, Finland for SeaFrance, as a passenger and roll-on roll-off car and commercial vehicle ferry; Rodin is engined by Wartsila Corporation, Helsinki,...
).