Stenaline have invested over £ 200 million (sterling) on the new services, and every penny shows ! Just to avoid any confusion, the new Stenaline Cairnryan terminal port is approximately 5 minutes by vehicle further north on the A77 from the P&O European Ferries terminal in Cairnryan.

Stenaline have lifted the port arrival experience to a whole new level ! The new terminal in Cairnryan invites Freight clients to enter check-in at a multi user check-in point to the left of the passenger check-in. Simply quote the booking reference supplied by Freightlink to ensure a speedy check-in. Once processed, freight vehicles will be directed to the loading lanes, and can then make use of the port facilities. The terminal experience is second to none, with dedicated freight driver shower & toilet facilities, discounted cafe all in relaxing surroundings.

When on board Stenaline’s Superfast vessels you can really see where the investment has gone. The onboard experience has been polished to unparalleled levels by any ferry operator on the Irish Sea. Freight drivers are treated like VIP customers with a dedicated luxurious freight lounge including rest areas with fabulous reclining seats.

For those wishing to travel in club class…..Stenaline have taken 1st class to “exemplary” class. With sumptuous reclining seats, hand stitched bucket seats, enormous TV’s, Ipads, 22inch Mac’s and even a Jacuzzi. The list simply goes on and on. The interior resembles that of a 5 star hotel from Knightsbridge.

Will Stenaline freight start to encroach on P&O’s 70% + market share of the Lochryan routes ? Based upon the shore and ship services, this is very likely. However real question however is; can Stenaline do this without cutting freight rates ? The ferry industry is under pressure just as the haulage industry is. Seafrance demise highlights these difficulties, and rate cuts to attract new business will be the very last resort. Stenaline will be hoping to attract business by adding value to their offering, whist P&O will continue to fight for every last truck and trailer !

Stenaline freight do not permit the displaying of freight rates. Please contact our customer service team for service details and discounted prices +44 (0) 844 847 9000

Click here for a slideshow of terminal building and new Stena Superfast ferry

Schedule details below:-

The £200million development of the 25 acre site seven miles north of Stranraer is due to open in November.

The opening of the new port will also herald the launch of a new route between Cairnryan and Belfast, and the introduction of two       sister ships – Stena Superfast VII and Stena Superfast VIII. These two ships will be the biggest ships to ever operate the route, and will reduce crossing time to around 2 hours 15 minutes.

With the assistance of a specialist cruise ship fit-out company Stena Line are investing in creating the most modern and comfortable ferries on the Irish Sea.

For freight drivers this means:

• Trucker’s restaurant and lounge
• Freight drivers quiet area
• Drivers’ showers, with separate female driver shower area

An increased deck height of 5.05m (up from 4.8m) also gives Stena Line the opportunity to be a valid competitor to P&O for those higher freight vehicles. Berthing and turnaround times will be reduced, with the aid of semi-automatic mooring systems and berthing stern in in Loch Ryan. The new ships and location are also expected to improve service and reliability, especially during periods of bad weather.

With the new Cairnryan – Belfast service expected to start on 21^st November, followed by the grand opening by Dan Sten Olsen, CEO of Stena Line, and Alex Salmond, First Minister of Scotland on 25^th November, the significant investment promises to further strengthen the transport links between Scotland and Northern Ireland. With a brand new port, modern facilities, comfortable ships designed with freight drivers needs in mind and increased levels of service the Cairnryan – Belfast route looks set to be popular as a viable alternative to travel to Northern Ireland.

Photo from Stenaline shipping intelligence September

During this time, the two routes had been operated by a separate company, known as Stena Line Irish Sea Ferries. Under the terms of the CC investigation Stena Line were not allowed to integrate any areas of this business into the wider company until such times as the CC cleared the acquisition.

The formal approval of the acquisition on 29^th June, meant that Stena Line could now commence the task of integration. This integration includes everything from signage, to back office functionality, to new booking systems and even reprogramming the tills on board ship.

Stena Line’s plan is for all aspects of this integration to be completed at the same time, in order to provide a seamless transition for both passenger and freight customers alike. They are currently making good progress and targeting the first week in September for the final changes to go live, and for the routes to be fully integrated.

However, some changes have already been noticeable. The four ships across the two routes have already been renamed and are now known as the Stena Mersey, Stena Lagan, Stena Scotia and Stena Hibernia. Whilst new names, some fresh signage, and ultimately a fresh coat of paint may be all the passenger customers will notice, things are a little different on the freight side.

Changes to computer systems will mean a difference in the booking process, reference numbers and the invoicing system, whilst there will also be differences in fuel surcharges, hazardous surcharges and out of gauge load processing and charges.

As these changes filter through, and Birkenhead – Belfast and Heysham – Belfast become fully integrated into the wider Stena Line route network, it can now be clearly seen that nearly 12 months of uncertainty and upheaval on the Irish Sea is drawing to a close.

In November 2010 when Stenaline announced the closure of the Fleetwood to Larne ferry route, shock waves were sent across the Irish Sea.

A ferry service from Fleetwood to Larne had been under operation for more than 30 years, first by P&O Ferries since 1975, and then by Stenaline from 2004.

Under P&O’s tenure, the route had made or lost £1m a year and with an aging fleet, Stenaline was making long term plans to invest in specialist new build ships with low drafts and wide beams capable of navigating the difficult tidal Fleetwood channel, and also providing the economies of scale for freight carryings.

Unfortunately all this came at a time when the Irish economy was hitting a 15 year low, with overall volumes down year on year. Despite investing in all three existing ships to improve onboard services, Stenaline struggled to make the route pay.

The next blow was made by Seatruck Ferries which in May 2010 announced the start of a Heysham to Larne service. Albeit the service started with a 1 ship 65 unit Clipper Ranger, the service would further dilute freight into Northern Ireland and impact on Stenaline’s volumes on the Fleetwood to Larne route. The Seatruck service was further enhanced in October 2010 when a second vessel, the Arrow, was added. There was now another direct competitor to the Fleetwood to Larne service.

In December 2009, Norfolkline announced the sale of its ferry division to DFDS. This would include the Irish Sea network of Heysham to Belfast and Dublin, and Birkenhead to Belfast and Dublin. The jewel in the Norfolkline service was the Birkenhead to Belfast service which continued to enjoy a level of support from freight clients which bucked the trend. There was also a steady increase in support for the Heysham to Belfast route, as service levels continued to improve compared to the difficult tidal operation of the Fleetwood to Larne service. When in July 2010 the Norfolkline deal was completed, DFDS looked to have purchased a network of routes capable of producing a good return.

During 2009-2010 all the Irish Sea ferry operators competed for reducing volumes, freight rates were put under considerable pressure, and as a result Irish Ferries were the only operator to report a profit, albeit small. Stenaline, DFDS P&O and Seatruck were making unsustainable losses. Capacity had to be reduced, and rates had to increase; it was a case of which operator would buckle first and when!

Had Stenaline closed Fleetwood to Larne in isolation, the 100,000 (approx) units shipped in 2010 would had dropped into the market place and almost instantly put the DFDS and Seatruck services into Northern Ireland into profit.

However, Stenaline had an ace card to play. At the same time of announcing the closure of its Fleetwood to Larne route, they had been working very hard in the background to secure the purchase of the Heysham to Belfast and Birkenhead to Belfast routes from DFDS.

DFDS clearly didn’t have the stomach for the continuing Irish Sea losses but had they known what Stenaline was planning and held onto the route network, they would have had the strategic advantage over volume with the ability to increase rates.

Not surprisingly, Stenaline’s acquisition isn’t without controversy, and is currently being assessed by both Irish and British Government bodies. On the 14th January 2011, the Irish Competition Authority announced a full investigation into the deal and the British Office of Fair Trading is likely to pass the matter onto the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

Whatever the outcome, without the Fleetwood to Larne service, there is now significantly more pressure on freight capacity for Irish Sea routes.

The only long sea ropax service into Northern Ireland is the Birkenhead to Belfast route, still being operated under the DFDS banner until the controversial deal is investigated, and driver accompanied units unable to secure space are now likely to have to ship through Dublin routes or Scottish routes into Belfast or Larne.

For further information about the deal between Stenaline and DFDS visit the British Government’s Office of Fair Trading website and the Irish Competition Authority website

OFT Investigation

TCI Investigation

Stena HSS - revolutionary engineering

Amid a wave of publicity and on the back of a multi million pound investment program Stena launched its purpose built High Speed Service (HSS) super crafts. Each HSS1500 was powered by four water jets. With a service speed of 40 knots  (a record of 51 knots unladen) and deck space equivalent to a full size football pitch they aimed to attract both tourist and freight carryings. The  HSS 1500 have a capacity to carry 1520 passengers and 375 cars or 120 cars and 50 freight units. The Stena Explorer, Stena Voyager and Stena Discovery not only looked like a ferry from the future but they were designed to be the future of the ferry industry. At a cost of £65m each and the requirement of significant infrastructure development at all the port locations serving the roués of Holyhead – Dun Laoghaire, Stranraer – Belfast and Harwich – Hoek van Holland the of HSS entered service in 1996.

After 15 years what impact has the HSS had ?

In terms of passenger travel and in the eyes of the tourist the HSS provides a service and experience that is un-rivalled. Crossing times, that are comparable to airlines when you take into account the ever lengthening requirement for earlier check in times. On board facilities that range from first class lounges to fast food outlets. All in all an airline experience with the added benefit of having your car with you. From a passenger paying perspective competition from low cost airlines ensured that the HSS remained price competitive. As we all know however tourism is seasonal and as a result Ro-Pax operators must have a freight offering to. So how did freight and the HSS get on ?

With the faster crossing times and quicker loading and discharge Stena perceived the HSS to be a premium freight service and therefore applied a premium rate policy. This premium pricing model was sustained on the Holyhead – DunLaoghaire route but a mixture of competition and wave height restrictions eroded the ability to charge a premium on the Stranraer – Belfast and Harwich – Hoek van Holland routes.

The above is history as they say. The HSS were operating in the water that surround the UK but how successful are they?  Lets fast forward from their inception in 1996 to 2007.

On January 8^th 2007 the Stena Discovery left Harwich at 1040 hours to return to its home port Hoek van Holland. This was its final in service trip in European waters.  The newly named HSS Discovery now plies her trade in the waters off the coast of Venezuela.

Over the last 10 years the HSS schedules were over time reduced in terms of crossing time and frequency of sailing. Most significantly over the last 12 months Stena have increased their conventional ferry capacity on the Irish Sea in line with the reduction in HSS sailings. On January 7^th 2010 Stean Line announced that the Stena Explorer service on the Holyhead – Dun Laoghaire route would operate during the peak tourist season only (June 28^th to September 5^th) and a smaller 600 passenger, no freight, Stena Express, would operate out of season.

It would appear therefore that the days of the HSS are numbered. It could be argued that in terms of a freight carrying service Stena passed up the market in favour of their conventional ferry offerings. So what has gone wrong ?

The biggest factor of what is no doubt a more complex reason comes down to the HSS operating costs and the most significant of those costs being the cost of a barrel of oil. It is understood that the breakeven price for operating an HSS is around $45 per barrel. When HSS services were launched the cost of a barrel was $25 and continued to trade under the perceived $45 benchmark until mid 2004. Oil prices may well have settled back at $75 a barrel but the spiral of 2008 when they hit $147 certainly began to prepare the nails for the HSS coffin.!!!!!!! Just a thought. Where does the HSS Discovery sail now? Off the coast of Venezuela…… an oil producing country.

Has the HSS therefore become Stena Lines white elephant or has it become another victim of the rise in oil prices and general world economic decline. It would suggest that anything over $45 a barrel meant that the HSS continuation on its original conception was always going to be a problem. As a concept the HSS was revolutionary, as a service it is excellent but as a viable business proposition in today’s economic climate it’s nothing more than inefficient and uneconomical. When they arrived on the scene the HSS looked like something from the future and who knows in the future their concept may be the way forward but unfortunately for now it would appear that the HSS is looking like being consigned to the history books of European ferries.