#AddedCapacity - Irish Sea freight-only operator, Seatruck Ferries is to add a third vessel to its growing Dublin-Liverpool route beginning on 17 November.

The additional mid-week departures will provide much needed peak capacity on a route which the operator claim is attracting increasing support from un-accompanied traffic.

The additional vessel is in direct response to demand and feedback from the Seatruck customer base and has been tailored to reflect the changing needs of the Irish market.

Driver shortages are causing operators to reassess their traditional accompanied method.

Seatruck Ferries believes in a switch to greater volumes of unaccompanied movements from ports, which reduces road mileage compared with the transit through Wales or Scotland. As economic conditions improve, this addition is the next stage in the freight operator's strategic development plan.

The move will complement the existing Seatruck services operating between Warrenpoint-Heysham and Dublin-Heysham (see ship's captain interview). The M6 Link road is nearing completion and will dramatically reduce the transit time to Heysham Port from junction 34 of the M6.

Commenting on the development, Seatruck CEO Alistair Eagles said,  "I am delighted to announce the deployment of additional tonnage on the Liverpool-Dublin route. October was another record month for this service and we are all really excited about the extra space that we will soon be able to offer to both existing and new customers.

He added. "2016 will be a pivotal year for Seatruck with not only the additional capacity on this route but with the opening of the M6 link which will be a game changer for the development of our routes from the Port of Heysham"