A FREIGHT service connecting Belfast to Heysham Port has struck a deal allowing it to continue operating until 2100. 

Swedish operator Stena Line signed a deal with Peel PortsGroup, the owner of Heysham Port, to operate a service to the north-west for the next 77 years. 

There is currently a twice-daily freight service from Belfast to Heysham providing a trade corridor between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. 

This year, Stena Line announced it is making a multi-million-pound investment in the Belfast-Heysham route with two new-build state-of-the-art ‘NewMax’ ferries, which will boost freight capacity by 80 per cent. The first hybrid ferry running on methanol fuel is due to begin the route in 2025.

Peel Ports, working collaboratively with Stena Line, plans to invest in new terminal management and a ‘smart gate’ automatic check-in system to improve customer experience at the port and will increase the parking for trailers to accommodate the additional capacity of the new vessels.

Niclas Martensson, CEO of Stena Line says, “Our business on our Belfast-Heysham route has thrived in recent years and is a vital connection for freight transport across the Irish Sea."