The service will run each way between Rosslare and Dunkirk six times a week.
A new ferry service from Rosslare to Dunkirk in northern France will commence in January and will give Irish industry what has been described as a “vital post-Brexit connection” to the European continent.
Operated by DFDS, the service will begin on 2 January, 2021 and run each way between Rosslare and Dunkirk six times per week, increasing to 13 the number of direct sailings from Rosslare to Europe on a weekly basis across all routes in the peak season.
The announcement of the service has been hailed by Rosslare Europort General Manager Glenn Carr as a “hugely exciting development, not only for us in Rosslare Europort, but for Ireland as a whole, Irish industry, and the haulage sector”.
Carr said that Rosslare Europort had engaged with Irish hauliers and their representatives, as well as shipping operators and ports in Europe, to understand their needs in the context of Brexit.
Carr added that the frequency of services from Rosslare to Europe will ensure a wide range of options to bypass the landbridge through Britain.
While the service will provide a crucial freight route in the context of Brexit, it is also likely to prove attractive for inbound and outbound tourism once Covid-19 restrictions on international travel are eased.
The DFDS service will take 24 hours to travel from Rosslare to Dunkirk, which is located less than three hours from Paris and only 20 minutes from the Belgian border.
Rosslare Europort itself, meanwhile, is set to undergo a major transformation in the coming years after Iarnród Éireann – Port Authority for Rosslare Europort – recently secured planning permission for a €30 million overhaul of the site.
Investment in the surrounding areas will include the construction of the new N25 Rosslare Europort Access Road and the development of the Rosslare Europort Business Park.
Delivery of the new facilities will represent the largest ever investment in the port and surrounding areas and make Rosslare the only port outside of Dublin with the required Border Inspection Post.
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