Irish Sea ferry services increase

Stena Line has invested £100m on the route in the past decade

A new Irish Sea ferry is set to go into service between Stranraer and Belfast.

It is part of a £6m investment by Stena Line in the route and will see the number of daily crossings rise to 14.

The Stena Navigator is its third vessel on the route between Scotland and Northern Ireland and can carry 1,500 passengers, 280 cars and 50 lorries.

Stena Line said the decision to invest on the route during a recession would ensure it was well-placed to capitalise when the economic conditions improved.

The company has spent more than £100m on the route during the last decade including a new terminal in Belfast which opened last June.

Plans are also with the Scottish government to construct a new terminal at Cairnryan which would see services move out of Stranraer.