| STENA Line's new £80 million Loch Ryan Port and terminal facility in Cairnryan was officially opened today by Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and Stena Line Chairman Dan Sten Olsson. The new 27 acre port is one of the most modern port facilities in the UK and heralds the start of a new route between Scotland and Northern Ireland, which will be serviced by two new ships, Stena Superfast VII and Stena Superfast VIII, the largest ferries ever to sail between the two countries. The new ships will complete the crossing in two hours 15 minutes and will operate 12 scheduled sailings per day between Cairnryan and Belfast. The opening of the new port brings Stena Line's recent investment in the service to a massive £200M, which also includes the opening in 2008 of the VT4 port in Belfast, and safeguards the ferry link between Scotland and Northern Ireland for the next generation. Dan Sten Olsson, Chairman of Stena Line said: "Today is a historic day for the people of Scotland and Northern Ireland. The long term future of this important ferry link between both countries has been secured for future generations and I'm delighted that Stena Line has been able to play its part in maintaining a connection between both countries which goes back over 150 years. "This investment represents one of the biggest financial route commitments ever made by Stena Line and I'm delighted that after years of planning and hard work the day has finally arrived when we can enjoy using one of the ... |
