The largest ferry to journey across the busiest waterway in the world is set to embark on its maiden voyage.

P&O Ferries’ new £152 million ship Spirit of Britain will set sail across the Channel from Dover to Calais with a capacity to hold up to 2,000 passengers.

It has three separate vehicle decks capable of carrying nearly two-and-a-half miles of traffic parked end to end.

Its revolutionary design features a unique hull form which reduces drag in shallow Channel waters and boosts fuel economy.

P&O bosses said the 49,000-tonne British-flagged ship – which can reach 22 knots – opens up a new era in cross-Channel travel.

Spirit of Britain will be officially named by Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes in March.

It will be joined on the Dover-Calais service by sister ship Spirit of France in September.

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