PSD Zeeland
THE ABANDONED FERRY SERVICE IN THE NETHERLANDS
The PSD, short for ‘Provinciale Stoombootdiensten’ or translated ‘local steamboat ferry’. The company started in 1828 with the first boat between Vlissingen, Breskens and Terneuzen. Later this became a ferry over the Westerschelde, the canal connecting Terneuzen, Antwerpen and Gent to the open sea.
The PSD had several services on different locations in Zeeland. The two most important were the Kruiningen-Perkpolder and the Vlissingen-Breskens ferry.
Kruiningen-Perkpolder
When the transport offer increased in the beginning of the 1930s on the service Hansweert-Walsoorden the ferry service moved to Kruiningen – Perkpolder. In those villages was more room for expansion. The Kruiningen-Perkpolder ferry started in 1940. Because of the war, the opening was accompanied without the usual festivities. The big flood in 1953 was not gentle with the PSD. In Kruiningen one of the ferries ended up floating in the water on the place that used to be land. Kruiningen-Perkpolder became a modern ferry service, with a revolutionary concept of double-decker ferries. In 1968 and 1970, the new ferries came into service and the modernization of the ferry service was completed.
Vlissingen-Breskens
The first ferry between Vlissingen en Breskens started in 1828. In 1968 a new ferry terminal was built in Vlissingen harbour. Breskens already had a new terminal built in 1958. Also on this line, the PSD upgraded to double-decker boats. The first one shipped in 1986.
Westerscheldetunnel
When in 2003 the tunnel underneath the Westerschelde was opened, the boats were sold and the docks were abandoned. In 2008 both docks were demolished. Also check my report on ferry De Zijpe. I took these photos of the ‘PSD Kruiningen-Perkpolder’ and ‘Vlissingen-Breskens’ in 2005 and 2006.
