Stena Line has added its brand-new ferry, the Stena Embla, temporarily to the Rosslare-Cherbourg service.
Originally scheduled for service on the Belfast-Liverpool route, due to the current Brexit-related shift for direct routes and increasing customer demand, Stena Line has decided to temporarily deploy the Stena Embla on Rosslare-Cherbourg.
In a statement this week, Stena Line confirmed that the Embla’s first sailing will be the 8:25pm departure from Rosslare today (Thursday, January 14).
Stena Embla is the third E-Flexer ferry to be commissioned for Stena Line’s Irish Sea routes in the last 12 months, three of the most modern ferries in the world as part of a €400 million investment.
The ship will make three weekly return trips between Rosslare and Cherbourg, which alongside the Stena Foreteller will see Stena Line operate 12 crossings per week between Ireland and the continent.
Commenting, Paul Grant, Stena Line’s Irish Sea trade director, said: “Given the short-term market distortion, we have decided to temporarily deploy our new Stena Embla vessel on the Rosslare–Cherbourg route.
“Clearly Brexit has created an increase in the demand for direct freight routes, and in particular driver accompanied freight, so the addition of Stena Embla, whilst temporary, plus the recently introduced Stena Foreteller to the route, will provide a welcome addition for our customers at this time.
At present we are currently reviewing our Rosslare-Cherbourg operations and will keep engaging with our customers to identify the most appropriate Stena Line operation for the route.
Glenn Carr, general manager of Rosslare Europort, said: “We warmly welcome Stena Embla to Rosslare for its maiden in-service voyage.
“We have been working closely with Stena Line to facilitate the unprecedented demand for capacity directly to and from the continent, and the boost in capacity Stena Embla delivers has been mobilised swiftly through our close cooperation.
“On behalf of Irish industry and all of our customers and stakeholders, we thank Stena Line for its ongoing commitment to Rosslare Europort.”