By
Rebecca Gibson |
European ferry company Stena Line has acquired the Irish-owned Celtic Link ferry service, which operates from Rosslare, Ireland to Cherbourg, France.
Celtic Link’s Celtic Horizon – which caters for 1,000 passengers, 200 cars and 120 freight units – currently provides a three times weekly service between Ireland and France. The ship will continue to operate a year-round service and will offer Stena Line’s signature service.
“The acquisition of the Rosslare-Cherbourg route is a key strategic investment for Stena Line and one which will help stimulate and strengthen new and existing opportunities for trade and tourism between Ireland, France and beyond,” said Ian Davies, Stena Line’s route manager for the Irish Sea South). “With confidence in the Irish economy strengthening, we see positive long-term growth in tourist and freight traffic from the continent as a real opportunity to help strengthen this economic growth further.”
Marking a significant milestone for Stena Line, the acquisition will enable the operator to offer its first ever direct ferry link between the Republic of Ireland and Europe.
Michael McGrath, Stena Line’s COO said. “We believe we can bring significant added value to the route with our wealth of industry experience and award-winning customer service standards, which we are confident will help to stimulate increased traffic volumes in the future.”
Stena Line aims to take over the service from 31 March 2014 after all details regarding the acquisition are finalised.