Stena Line is to further increase its freight-ferry capacity direct from Ireland to continental Europe in response to increased post-Brexit demand by adding a new weekend sailing from Dublin to Cherbourg.

The new service, reports RTE News, will start next Saturday and will result in a temporary reduction in weekend capacity on the Dublin to Holyhead route, where demand has dropped dramatically since 1 January.

The new route will use the Stena Estrid, while the Stena Adventurer will continue to operate on the Holyhead route at weekends.

Trade volumes across the Irish Sea are down substantially on normal levels due to new customs procedures and systems that were introduced when the UK became a third country on 1 January.

Hauliers and freight operators have complained of delays in getting goods through customs on both sides of the Irish Sea, due to the challenges.

For much click here including the impact on filling supermarket shelves.

The move by Stena follows that of rivals Irish Ferries, which Afloat reported on the reintroduction last week of W.B.Yeats, but months in advance of a scheduled resumption on the Dublin-Cherbourg route. This development was also in response to a surge in demand from freight hauliers.

Just before lunchtime today, Afloat tracked Stena Embla (sister of the 'Estrid') complete its maiden commercial round trip on the Rosslare-Cherbourg route.

The brand new 'E-Flexer' Ro-Pax ferry was pressed early into service to provide temporary capacity to the French route's existing two-ship service.

The Chinese built ship however is as planned to enter the Belfast-Birkenhead (Liverpool) route joining another sister the Stena Edda.