Passengers, particularly Welsh rugby fans travelling by ‘foot’ for this Saturday’s match with Ireland, in Dublin, have got good news as the Stena Line owned port of Fishguard is to see their ferry back on the run after a five-and-a-half-week disruption in service.

The south Wales-Ireland route, formerly served until last year by the popular Stena Europe as Afloat referred earlier today, (see related Stena CEO story), will reports the Western Telegraph, travel but from the Irish port of Rosslare to Fishguard at 7.30pm (19.30hrs) this evening on the first crossing in more than a month as the St. Georges Channel ferry service resumes. (At the time of writing, Afloat can confirm the Stena Europe has departed Rosslare). 

Stena Europe is being used as a temporary vessel while Fishguard Port undergoes maintenance work to a linkspan berth. The work means that the Stena Nordica, which was announced a year ago as the ‘permanent’ ferry since its introduction in July last year, was operating between Fishguard and Rosslare is unable to berth in Fishguard at the moment.

The ropax ferry since January has been been put on the Dublin to Holyhead route while the work takes place, allowing also for that route’s secondary ferry, Stena Estrid to provide relief cover for the Belfast-Birkenhead E-flexer twins to go for annual overhaul dry-dockings.

The only one ferry that is able to berth at Fishguard in its current configuration is the Stena Europe, however the veteran vessel dating to 1981 had to go for repairs at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, from where the ferry has been for the most part of these past weeks, then a stint afterwards at Liverpool Docks. Afloat had tracked the ferry relocate having crossed the Mersey with the assistance of a pair of tugs to enable berthing within the docks that would later include shifting to Canada Dock.

Now that the Stena Europe has returned to Fishguard after the long delay due to unforeseen mechanical issues, but Stena has confirmed that the ferry has taken over the route from today.

As previously reported, Stena Europe covered the Fishguard-Rosslare run for 21 years, until 13 July last year followed by a trip to A&P Falmouth that afterwards led to a short charter on the Strait of Gibraltar between Spain and Morocco.

“Stena Line can confirm that Stena Europe will enter service on the Rosslare-Fishguard route at 7.30pm on Tuesday, February 20,” said a company spokesperson. “We apologise for the delay to the resumption of this service, and we look forward to welcoming our customers onboard.”

More on the story here as the Stena Europe will also be a most welcome sight for ferry fans on both sides of the southern corridor route, though the ferry will be replaced again when Stena Nordica makes its presence with a night-sailing departing the Welsh port on St. David’s Day, 1st March.

Afloat however understands Stena Nordica is to be off-service again but on a temporary basis on the Rosslare-Cherbourg route joining the Stena Vision as the Ireland-France route's secondary ferry, ropax Stena Horizon is currently running Stena's new Dublin-Birkenhead 'freight' route but is scheduled to return to the continental service in April.