Stena Line has increased the number of its weekly sailings between Rosslare and Fishguard from 12 to 24, giving more signs that the UK landbridge may be coming back into play for Irish hauliers.
The news is very much welcome at the port of Fishguard in particular, where freight traffic dropped by 70% in January. Although the latest figures are still showing a 59% drop compared to 2020, there is now optimism that things will get better.
Paul Grant, Stena Line’s Irish Sea Trade Director, says that the ferry company are anticipating more hauliers to use the UK landbridge again:
“As trade flows between Britain and Ireland begin to pick-up we’re anticipating that confidence will recover for landbridge freight movements. Shorter, faster and more frequent routes are always popular with hauliers and their customers. In addition, we know that there is a lot of pent up demand for travel and the return of duty free onboard will offer even greater value for passengers travelling with Stena Line.”
The news follows the decision by Irish Ferries to charter the Blue Star 1 for a new Rosslare to Pembroke service. The company will also operate a Dover – Calais service in order to make the UK landbridge more viable for hauliers.
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