Stena Line has welcomed a statement from Holyhead Port today following the completion of necessary repairs to one of the port's terminals, which is on schedule to be back in operation on 1st July as originally estimated.
Stena Line anticipates a full return to its normal sailing timetable when the port's Terminal (T3) in the outer harbour reopens on 1st July.
The North Wales port, which is also operated by the ferry company, in early December became temporarily closed when a ferry incident took place just before the peak of Storm Darragh, which caused major travel disruption on the main Ireland-UK route. This led to cancellations, forcing thousands of passengers to take alternative Irish Sea routes and impacting trade through the UK's second-largest ferry port, notably in the lead-up to the festive period.
Stena Line has operated a full sailing schedule since the 'partial' reopening of the port at the adjacent Terminal 5 in January of this year, timetable adjustments were necessary while T3 remained closed for necessary repairs. Its widespread impact led to the establishment of a joint Task Force between the Irish and Welsh governments to strengthen transport links following damaged port infrastructure.
Also during this period, competitor Irish Ferries was able to continue operating on its rival service to and from Dublin Port, which includes a fast-ferry seasonal service.
Johan Edelman, Stena Line Trade Director (Irish Sea South), said, “We are pleased with the news that Holyhead Port plans to have T3 returned to operation on 1st July. While the frequency of our ferry services on the Dublin-Holyhead route has not been impacted by the closure of T3, we have had to make some minor adjustments to our sailing timetable. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our freight and travel customers for their understanding over the last number of months.”
He added, “Our customer service teams are already engaged in the process of advising all of our freight and travel customers about the imminent reopening of T3, and we will be updating our web booking and social media channels with the timetable adjustment, which will come into effect from 1st July.”
