Stena Line has reached an agreement to acquire a ro-ro freight ferry, the Somerset, from CLdN and is to serve on the Dublin Port-Birkenhead (Liverpool) route.
Subject to closure and transfer, the vessel would begin operating the central Irish Sea corridor connection in early December. As part of the changes, the ferry company will redeploy its own vessels (also as below) onto the Rotterdam–Harwich route.
Delivery of Somerset is expected later in October and, after a period in dry dock for refurbishment and repainting, the vessel is expected to enter service on the Dublin–Liverpool route in December. The Somerset has previously operated within Stena Line’s network as a chartered vessel and will be renamed Stena Freighter for its Irish Sea role.
Changes to the network
Stena Line currently operates the Rotterdam–Harwich route with two chartered vessels – Mistral from Godby Shipping and Thuleland from Wallenius SOL. The charter agreements for these vessels will soon expire, and both will be returned to their owners at the end of the year.
The Rotterdam–Harwich route, will continue to be served by Stena Hibernia and Stena Scotia, which will be redeployed from the Irish Sea's Dublin–Liverpool route, where Stena Freighter will replace their service. The freight route will return to being served by one vessel instead of two, as has been the case for most of 2026.
“We are very pleased with the agreement to acquire Somerset. It’s a vessel that fits well within our network and has the flexibility and capacity to operate on several of our routes. We know Somerset well from her previous service with us and know what she can deliver. With Somerset, we have an excellent option with significant capacity for the Dublin–Liverpool route,” said Magnus Lander, Head of Network & Business Development at Stena Line.
He concludes: “The acquisition also enables us to strengthen our presence on the Rotterdam–Harwich route by deploying our own two vessels, Stena Hibernia and Stena Scotia.”
Somerset – key facts
- Built: 1999 (Flender Werft, Germany)
- LOA (Length Overall): 183.4 metres
- Vehicle deck lane metres: 2,504
