Stena Line announce early return for Stena HSS

Stena Line has announced that the HSS Stena Explorer will now commence service on its Holyhead - Dun Laoghaire route a month earlier on 26 May to cope with additional demand over the summer period.

Commenting on the move, Vic Goodwin Route Director Stena Line said: "Our decision to bring back the HSS Stena Explorer onto the route a month earlier has been influenced by the fact that market demands this year are much higher than we had anticipated due in large part to the ongoing uncertainty in respect of the problems faced by airlines in relation to the volcanic ash situation.  We needed to increase our capacity on the route so we have decided to introduce the HSS Stena Explorer a month earlier from its scheduled 28 June date through until 5 September."

The HSS Stena Explorer can carry up to 1500 passengers and 350 cars compared to the Stena Lynx capacity of up to 500 passengers and 140 cars. The reintroduction of the HSS Stena Explorer will also provide Stena Line with the ability to handle higher volumes of foot passengers, which has been a specific feature of the volcanic ash situation and Dun Laoghaire Harbour provides passengers with an adjacent Dart connection straight to Dublin City and the surrounding area.

The HSS Stena Explorer will operate one round trip per day with a 10.00 hours sailing from Holyhead and a 13.15 hours sailing from Dun Laoghaire.  The Stena Lynx will operate a fast craft service from 10 July on the Fishguard - Rosslare route as originally planned.

About Stena Line
Stena Line, an ABTA member, is an international transport and travel service company and the world's leading ferry operator.

Stena Line operates in three business areas: Scandinavia, the North Sea and the Irish Sea with a network of 18 strategically located ferry routes in Europe. Stena Line has a modern fleet with a total of 35 vessels including fast ferries (Stena HSS), traditional combi-ferries, RoPax ferries for freight and passengers, and pure cargo ships.

Stena Line is the market leader on the Irish Sea, offering the biggest fleet and widest choice of routes between Britain and Ireland, including Stranraer to Belfast, Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire and Dublin Port, Fishguard to Rosslare and Fleetwood to Larne. The company carries almost three million passengers on its Irish Sea routes each year, more than its rival ferry operators combined.

During 2009, approximately 15.4 million passengers travelled with Stena Line. 3.3 million cars and 1.6 million freight units were transported during the same period.

PR Contact:
Eamonn Hewitt
Communications & PR Manager
Stena Line
The Ferry Terminal
Dun Laoghaire Harbour
Co Dublin
+353 1 2047617
www.stenaline.co.uk