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Displaying items by tag: Zeebrugge,Belgium

Activity at Rosslare Europort which has exploded post-Brexit is continuing in earnest with yet another new route set to be announced for the Wexford ferry port.

According to Wexford People, it’s been reported that Finnlines are now set to operate a twice weekly Ro-Ro freight service between Rosslare and the Belgian port of Zeebrugge commencing in July of this year.

However, Rosslare Europort management (see press release below) are insisting that a deal has not been concluded yet, although they are in “advanced discussions” with Finnlines. They stressed that “while agreement has not yet been reached, Rosslare Europort is optimistic that this new route can be established to give yet another crucial link for Irish industry to and from mainland Europe.”

The addition of a route to the Belgian port has been rumoured for quite some time as demand for sailings to continental Europe continues to grow in the wake of Brexit. It appears that it is now coming to fruition as a result of consultations between New Ross based Nolan Transport and Finnlines, although the transport company may have jumped the gun slightly with their announcement.

More reports Wexford People which as alluded above referred to Rosslare Europort which today (2 June) issued a press release as also below:

In response to speculation, Glenn Carr, General Manager, Rosslare Europort has confirmed that Port management are in advanced discussion with Finnlines – part of the world-leading logistics and shipping Grimaldi Group – about a possible new connection between the Co Wexford port and the Belgian port of Zeebrugge, one of Europe’s largest RoRo ports.

Port management have stressed that while agreement has not yet been reached, Rosslare Europort is optimistic that this new route can be established to give yet another crucial link for Irish industry to and from mainland Europe.  

Since Brexit, Rosslare Europort has established itself as Ireland’s Gateway to Europe, with the highest RoRo volumes of any Irish port to/from the continent during 2021.  Rosslare Europort continues to engage with new and established shipping lines and with partner ports in Europe as it seeks to further build the range of services operating from the port. 

Published in Rosslare Europort

William M Nixon has been writing about sailing in Ireland and internationally for many years, with his work appearing in leading sailing publications on both sides of the Atlantic. He has been a regular sailing columnist for four decades with national newspapers in Dublin, and has had several sailing books published in Ireland, the UK, and the US. An active sailor, he has owned a number of boats ranging from a Mirror dinghy to a Contessa 35 cruiser-racer, and has been directly involved in building and campaigning two offshore racers. His cruising experience ranges from Iceland to Spain as well as the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, and he has raced three times in both the Fastnet and Round Ireland Races, in addition to sailing on two round Ireland records. A member for ten years of the Council of the Irish Yachting Association (now the Irish Sailing Association), he has been writing for, and at times editing, Ireland's national sailing magazine since its earliest version more than forty years ago