Bad news for Dun Laoghaire - the ferry terminal will look even more desolated from mid-September. Stena Line has announced that its HSS fast ferry service from the Dublin suburb to Holyhead will cease for the winter season. The main reason seems to be financial. In a press statement, Stena confirms this:
The fast craft service operating between Holyhead and Dun Laoghaire has traded at a financial loss for several years. The high operating costs of the HSS Stena Explorer, particularly in terms of fuel costs and gas turbine maintenance, has been a major factor in this ... The vast majority of revenue from the fast craft service is generated from car and coach guests and is received during the peak summer trading period. In 2010 for example, 73 per cent of the turnover on this route was generated between the months of May and September.
While at first glance this is a blow to ferry passengers, all-in-all it won't be of major concern - the slower ferries usually have spare room. To add to this, both Stena and Irish Ferries had to cancel their fast services over and over again due to weather conditions in winter, sailings not being possible in high winds or fog.