DUBLIN: Stena Line officially launched a new ferry on its Holyhead-Dublin route at Dublin Port.
Superfast X will operate an all year round sailing schedule for Stena Line on its expanding Holyhead-Dublin service, one of the key tourism and freight gateways between Britain and Ireland.
The launch and naming ceremony was performed by Stena Line Chairman Dan Sten Olsson and Irish broadcast personality Kathryn Thomas.
It comes a month after it was confirmed that the HSS Explorer service from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire was being scrapped.
Dan Sten Olsson, chairman of Stena Line, said: “Trade and tourism links between Britain and Ireland have been growing steadily in recent years and with improving economic conditions forecast for 2015 and beyond, as the leading ferry operator on the Irish Sea we are confident in our ability to help stimulate this upward trend further.
That’s why we have invested in providing increased capacity on this route with the introduction of Stena Superfast X, a ship which is perfectly appointed to accommodate the mix of freight and tourism traffic which is required to develop the important Holyhead-Dublin gateway in the years ahead.”
Mr Olsson added: “The Irish Sea is at the core of Stena Line’s business which is why we have invested more than £250m in our Irish Sea routes during the last five years alone.”
Industry reports point to an expected 6% increase in holiday visitors into Ireland in 2015, building on the 8% increase in 2014.
The ship recently underwent a comprehensive refit and upgrade programme in Gdynia (Poland) to prepare her for service on the Holyhead-Dublin route.
