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The logistics giant DFDS has announced a new six-day-a-week ferry service between Rosslare Europort and Dunkerque in northern France.
The new direct service aims to give hauliers and the wider Irish industrial sector a new option to replace the UK land bridge, post-Brexit, amid fears of hours delays on the land bridge once the customs and other controls take effect in the new year. .
As of January 2, the new service will bring to 13 the number of direct departures between Rosslare Europort and the European continent, in each direction, every week, during peak hours of the year.
“This is a very exciting development, not just for us at Rosslare Europort, but for the whole of Ireland, the Irish industry and the transport sector,” Port General Manager Glenn Carr said this morning.
Recently, many in international trade have expressed fears about the effects Brexit will have on Irish businesses, particularly due to the long anticipated delays in the UK due to the need for customs controls for traffic traveling between that country and the EU countries.
Irish carriers currently make tens of thousands of trips across the land bridge and onto the mainland each year.
“We have engaged with Irish shippers and their representatives to understand their needs, particularly in the context of Brexit, and we have worked with shipping and port operators in Europe to identify strong offers for the sector,” Carr said.
Travel time for Rosslare-Dunkirk will be 24 hours, which is longer than trips to other French ports such as Cherbourg or Roscoff, but will bring carriers and other users three hours from Paris and 20 minutes from the Belgian border.
“We welcome Rosslare to DFDS and look forward to building a lasting partnership with them,” Carr said.
Other transport operators already sailing from Rosslare to the mainland include StenaLine, Irish Ferries and Brittany Ferries.
There are currently three round trips between Rosslare and France each week, as well as three between Dublin and Cherbourg and three between Dublin and Rotterdam.
However, they all go out on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Other Rosslare destinations include Bilbao in Spain and Roscoff in France.
“The new service, which will provide a crucial cargo route, will also be very attractive to inbound and outbound tourism when Covid travel restrictions are eased,” Carr said.
This news comes after planning permission was granted for a € 30 million development in Rosslare, which includes a reconfiguration of the port along with new infrastructure and facilities, aimed at increasing the number of routes.
Other developments in the area include the construction of a new N25 Rosslare Europort access road by Transport Infrastructure Ireland and Wexford County Council, as well as a new business park for the Dutch company XELLZ and a new border inspection post, including facilities for Customs. , health and agricultural controls, designed for the post-Brexit business environment.
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