THE PORT of Holyhead will remain closed until at least mid-January after Storm Darragh severely damaged ferry berths. As a result, freight traffic will be diverted to other ports on the west coasts of Wales and England.
The port has been closed to marine traffic since the first weekend of December when its infrastructure was damaged. Its closure has exposed vulnerabilities in the UK-Ireland freight supply chain.
In a joint communique, the Irish and Welsh Governments said: “This was not the news any of us wanted to hear. However, it provides clarity so that contingencies can be put in place.
“We were already working in partnership on contingency plans should we be in this position, and we are pressing ahead with those at a rapid pace.”
The statement continued: “Stena have assured us of their commitment to the port of Holyhead and that the damage is repairable and will be repaired.
“We will continue to work together in the short term to ensure passengers and freight get through, and in the longer term to preserve the resilience and success of the Port of Holyhead, which is so important to both our nations.”
Gareth Davies MS, the Shadow Cabinet Minister for North Wales, called on the Irish, British and Welsh Governments to urgently intervene to reopen the Port of Holyhead.
Mr Davies, who also represents the North Wales region in the Senedd, said: “The Port’s continuing closure is adversely affecting the local economy and the wider supply chain. Prolonged closure will affect the wider Welsh and British economy. If Stena needs support from the Welsh and UK Governments, then the Governments should be prepared to step in.”
SERVICE CHANGES ANNOUNCED
Stena will operate a temporary freight-only route from Dublin to Heysham in Lancashire. The temporary service will provide an extra round trip between Ireland and Britain with approximately 850 lane metres of space for freight.
Stena has also established a new temporary route for passengers and freight between Dublin and Fishguard. The Stena Adventurer will serve this route. Stena will offer a bus service between Holyhead and Fishguard for foot passengers.
Stena has obtained permission to transport cars and passengers between Dublin and Liverpool for those with existing Dublin—Holyhead bookings.
Additional Dublin—Birkenhead sailings will also be available on Stena Estrid. These sailings are currently for car passengers with existing bookings on cancelled Dublin—Holyhead crossings and freight.
A spokesperson for Stena said in a statement: “We recognise that the unprecedented closure of Holyhead Port in the run-up to Christmas has caused major upheaval in freight flows between Ireland and Britain. Our priority in the coming days will be to secure as much additional capacity as possible throughout our Irish Sea network.
“High levels of pre-Christmas bookings have made this a very challenging operation, but we are working around the clock to examine every conceivable opportunity.
“These measures will remain in place until at least January 16. We will continue to monitor the situation and will make decisions accordingly once we have a further update on the reopening of the ferry berths.”
A spokesperson for Irish Ferries said: “Due to the ongoing closure of Holyhead Port, Irish Ferries has cancelled all sailings on the Holyhead-Dublin route, up to and including January 15.
“We are currently contacting customers booked to travel on the route in date order to outline options available to them, including sailing on the Rosslare-Pembroke route, where we have added more space.
“We are also working with UK ports with a view to adding further sailings to and from Ireland.”
