low graphics version | feedback | help
|
| Front Page |
| World |
| UK |
| England |
| Northern Ireland |
| Scotland |
| Wales |
| UK Politics |
| Business |
| Sci/Tech |
| Health |
| Education |
| Entertainment |
| Talking Point |
| In Depth |
| AudioVideo |
|
|
 BBC Wales's Geraint Vincent"With such large losses in revenue it seems further cutbacks can't be rules out"  real 28k  Mary Gallagher, Stena's Route Director"At the end of the day we have to run a business that makes a profit"  real 28k |
Swedish-based ferry company Stena Line will run its fast ferry service between Fishguard and Rosslare for just six months of the year.
As a result, between September and the spring, passengers will have to use the company's slower conventional ferries instead.
The service used to run for nine months of the year.
 Stena Line blames the abolition of duty free
|
Potential investors might now be put off by the longer three-and-a-half-hour journey between Fishguard and Rosslare, the council said.
It is not yet clear if the postponement will lead to job losses in one of Wales's worst unemployment blackspots.
Stena blamed the abolition of duty free in July last year, which reduced the number of day passengers who regularly used the service.
Rough seas
Stena's fast ferry service was introduced to Fishguard in 1994.
Using the Stena Lynx I and III, which can carry 140 cars and 620 passengers, it cut the journey time across the Irish sea to just 99 minutes.
The fast ferry had problems in the winter months, with the rough seas often leading to the cancellation of services.
Locals on both sides of the Irish Sea nicknamed it the Olympic Flame, claiming it never went out.
|
Search BBC News Online |
|
|
 Advanced search options | |
| |
 | |
 | |
| |
|
| BBC RADIO NEWS |
| |
| |
|
| BBC ONE TV NEWS |
| |
| |
| WORLD NEWS SUMMARY |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| PROGRAMMES GUIDE |
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
E-mail this story to a friend
~RS~a~RS~international~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~13~RS~)