The largest ferry operator on the Irish Sea, Stena Line has said it hopes to launch a route from Birkenhead, on the Wirral peninsula, to Dublin Port following news that a historic Liverpool route is set to be axed.

The announcement follows from rival, P&O Ferries which said it intends to close its (two-ropax operated central Irish Sea) Liverpool-Dublin service at the end of this year, in what was described as a "huge blow" to the two cities.

The Swedish owned Stena Line which already operates out of Merseyside with the Birkenhead-Belfast route, understands that Dublin Port is to initiate a selection process to identify a potential new operator on the Ireland-UK corridor linking the Liffey and Merseyside.

Stena Line which also operates Dublin-Holyhead on the central corridor, said it will participate fully in this process and will be "registering an interest in re-establishing a Dublin–Birkenhead service."

A spokesman for Peel Ports Group, the UK’s second largest port operator, confirmed that the P&O Ferries service would no longer be calling into Liverpool on expiration of their existing contract at the end of 2023. 

The ferry company which operate twin ropax's on the 8-hour route declined to say why the contract had not been renewed.

Liverpool Echo has more on this development.