Larne Port continues to be the gateway of choice for many passengers and freight companies transporting goods between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
Located just 30 minutes from Belfast, and just two and a half hours from Dublin the Port handles in the region of a quarter of a million commercial vehicles each year
The Port’s most regularly visiting ships are P&Os two powerful, and reliable RoPax ferries – the European Highlander, and the European Causeway – which operate across the North Channel every day of the week. And with the Larne to Cairnryan route being the shortest crossing to GB, at just two hours, it is obvious why Larne continues to be popular with both freight and passengers alike.
The combination of the shortest crossing, and fast loading and discharge from these ‘drive through’ ships, lorry drivers spend less time onboard getting themselves and their freight back on the road quicker.
By offering great value, convenient online booking and a great selection of sailing times it’s not hard to see why P&O maintain this vital trade route between Northern Ireland and Great Britain
“We generally have six ferry arrivals and departures per day, which rises to seven crossings per day in the summer months
The two P&O RoPax Ferries cater for both passengers and freight with the capacity to carry up to 440 passengers per sailing in addition to significant volumes of freight traffic.”
Currently, these vessels carry around 15 per cent of the goods coming in and out of Northern Ireland, including vital medicines and fresh food.
With approximately 40 acres of extensive trailer vehicle parking, a trained workforce and a fleet of modern tug masters, the port is fully equipped to handle unaccompanied traffic as well as driver accompanied vehicles. Fast, efficient check-in facilities and modern freight driver facilities make Larne Port a popular choice with haulers and drivers.
Having deep water, a range of quays and generous land available, the port can also cater for other vessels. “In the past year, there has been a growing interest from the renewables industry, specifically wind farms, and we have handled a number of vessels with cargoes associated with this sector,
The port is fast becoming an important hub for the import of wind farm components and also for ships undertaking maintenance in the many off-shore wind farms in the Irish Sea.”
