The vessel, Lismore, will operate alongside Longstone on the North Sea route between Belgium and the UK. The company said the addition could increase weekly lane metre capacity on the corridor by up to 9,000 metres.
According to P&O Ferries, Lismore provides 4,076 lane metres and can carry up to 290 freight units per sailing. From 18 February, the operator plans to run 18 departures per week on the route.
The Zeebrugge–Tilbury connection is primarily used for unaccompanied freight, including trailers, chassis, trade cars and other rolling cargo such as machinery and project loads. The service provides an alternative to the Dover–Calais crossing and the Channel Tunnel for operators transporting trailer-based freight between the UK and mainland Europe.
Wider North Sea capacity increases
The Zeebrugge deployment follows earlier capacity adjustments on P&O Ferries’ North Sea network. In March 2025, the company increased capacity on its Tilbury–Europoort route, lifting available space by up to 60%, according to the operator.
Two vessels, Norsky and Norstream, are now deployed on that corridor between the UK and the Netherlands. The company has also extended port turnaround times, allowing up to 20 additional freight units per sailing.
Sailing schedules on the Tilbury–Europoort route have been adjusted to include evening departures from both ports. In addition, the Europoort terminal now opens at 07:00 local time, enabling earlier deliveries and collections.
