Stena Line recorded a growth of one per cent in freight volumes across its three Belfast services in 2025. Total volumes increased to almost 600,000 freight units shipped from Belfast to Cairnryan, Liverpool (Birkenhead), and Heysham.
The Belfast-Liverpool route reached a record of over 270,000 units. The Belfast to Heysham service also recorded its highest volumes in five years. This performance coincided with the 30th anniversary of the company's operations from Belfast Harbour.
To meet increasing demand, Stena Line said it will introduce the newly built Stena Connecta on January 23, 2026. The vessel will operate alongside its sister ship, Stena Futura, which launched in November 2025.
The company stated both ships provide an additional 40 per cent freight capacity with 24 sailings per week.
Stena Line remarked that it currently operates the largest fleet on the Irish Sea, providing up to 242 weekly sailings across several routes including Belfast to Cairnryan and Dublin to Holyhead.
