The new route will be operated by an 868-TEU vessel owned by the Dutch shipping company. Departures from Zeebrugge are scheduled for Thursdays, with vessels arriving in Dublin on Sundays and calling at Le Havre on Wednesdays, completing a fixed seven-day rotation.
According to the published schedule, transit times will be two days from Zeebrugge to Dublin, two days from Dublin to Le Havre, and one day from Le Havre back to Zeebrugge. Dublin is now served three times a week through WEC Lines’ combined services, which also include routes from Spain and Portugal.
WEC Lines said the new service responds to demand from customers in both the dry and refrigerated cargo sectors for faster and more frequent links between Northwestern Europe and Ireland. By routing vessels via Zeebrugge and Le Havre, the carrier aims to provide a viable alternative to the busier ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam.
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“2025 will see the launch of this new service connecting Dublin to Zeebrugge and will also extend our reach to the surrounding European hinterland,” said Roger Megann, Managing Director of WEC Lines UK. He added that the company has been active in the Irish market for over 30 years and introduced a direct Dublin–Bilbao link in 2024.
The inclusion of Le Havre twice a week and a fixed weekly call at Montoir also reinforces the company’s footprint in France. WEC Lines operates 16 vessels, a large container fleet, and has 17 local offices worldwide. The company is headquartered in Rotterdam.
The new service includes full control of operations and monitoring, including for temperature-sensitive and hazardous cargo, with an extensive range of containers available.
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