DFDS and Stena strike Irish deal

Stena Line has bought two Irish Sea routes from DFSD Seaways in a deal worth €47.5 million – Belfast to Liverpool (Birkenhead) and Belfast to Heysham.

Stena Line says the acquisition will enhance its Irish Seas services by offering several different alternatives for transportation between Ireland and Great Britain.

Stena Line Irish Sea Area Director Michael McGrath said the latest acquisition reflects Stena Line’s commitment to the Irish Sea and would improve service and frequency for passengers and freight.

He said: “These new Irish Sea routes will complement our existing services perfectly and enable us to offer our customers even more options for ferry transport across the Irish Sea.”

“At the same time, we are strengthening Belfast as a transport hub for freight and passengers to and from Northern Ireland,” he added.

Four DFDS vessels are included in the acquisition, include Lagan Seaways and Mersey Seaways on the Belfast-Liverpool route and the freight carriers Scotia Seaways and Hibernia Seaways. These will all now be operated by Stena Line.

The sale by DFDS allows it to concentrate on its North Sea routes, following its acquisition of Norfolk Line. In November it was voted “Europe’s Leading Long Sea Ferry Operator” by the World Travel Awards for the fourth year running.