Stena Line, the Gothenburg based ferry company, said it  transported a total of 246,000 passengers between Harwich and the Hook of Holland in the first six months of 2013, setting a new record with a growth rate almost three times that of UK-Nerherlands air travel.

The service operates two 64,000 gross ton vessels, the Stena Britannica and Stena Hollandica, which were built in 2010.

“The figure represented an increase of 14,000 passengers on the North Sea route, a 5.9% uplift compared to the same period in 2012 and the largest first-half passenger volumes since the current timetable was established six years ago.

By comparison, air passenger numbers between the UK and the Netherlands grew less significantly during the first six months of 2013, with a year-on-year increase of just 2.2%

The ferry operator achieved particularly strong growth in car numbers on the route. The first half of 2013 saw a 9.6% lift in cars transported, equivalent to 5,000 more than the prior-year period.

 Stena Line also saw a year-on-year increase of 5.7 % in coach traffic on the Harwich-Hook of Holland route between January and June.