Stena Line launched their new route of Dublin – Liverpool (Birkenhead) with the freight service completing its first round trip to the Irish capital in the early hours of this morning (16 February).

The addition of the new route is expected to further boost the company’s freight volumes following a record year on its Irish Sea services in 2023 in particular on Belfast-based routes to Cairnyan, Heysham and Liverpool where Stena already have an established route on Merseyside based out of Birkenhead. 

The first sailing on the new service left Dublin Port’s Terminal 5 yesterday morning at 6:30am and arrived in Birkenhead (12 Quays Terminal) at 14.30hrs, where the Stena Horizon is temporarily operating on the new Dublin- Liverpool route. The vessel discharged and loaded freight vehicles for the evening return journey to Ireland, which involved a departure at 18.30hrs and an arrival at Dublin at 02.15hrs.

The addition of the new service will be Stena Line’s seventh route in the Irish Sea region complementing its Belfast - Cairnryan, Belfast – Heysham, Belfast – Liverpool, Dublin – Holyhead, Rosslare – Fishguard and Rosslare – Cherbourg services.

With Stena Horizon initially operating on the Irish Sea central corridor route, the company is currently assessing ship deployment options for a permanent freight-only vessel. The new service will provide freight customers on both sides of the Irish Sea with even more choice when it comes to securing an efficient and reliable connection between Ireland and Britain.

Paul Grant, Trade Director (Irish Sea), Stena Line said: “We are excited to launch our much-anticipated new freight route between Dublin and Liverpool, securing a key trading route across the Irish Sea. With two services now operating from both Dublin Port and 12 Quays in Birkenhead, we’re expanding our operational hubs in both ports creating more efficiencies for our customers. Currently, we have deployed the Stena Horizon temporarily, but we hope to be able to confirm a permanent solution soon that will help to maximise freight capacity and boost trade volumes.”

Barry O’Connell, CEO, Dublin Port Company, said: “We are pleased to welcome Stena Line’s new Dublin-Liverpool route, which will provide freight customers with a choice of routes across the Irish Sea. It is essential to the Irish economy that we have strong, reliable connections to Great Britain and this dedicated freight service helps to secure a key trading corridor.”

In 2023, Stena Line signed an agreement with Peel Ports to operate at the 12 Quays Terminal until the year 2100, demonstrating the company’s long-term commitment to the region.

Phil Hall, Port Director Liverpool, Peel Ports Group said: “We are delighted to be supporting this new freight route as part of our long-standing partnership programme with Stena Line, which further enhances trade opportunities, efficiency and capability for our customers.“

The ferry operator transports 6.5 million passengers with 38 vessels across 18 routes in Northern Europe operating 26,000 sailings each year.