Record tonnage last year at Belfast port

BELFAST port has announced record figures for 1995, with gross tonnage of 12.3 million 7 per cent up on the previous year. The net weight of cargo was over 10 million tonnes, compared with 4.7 million for Larne port.

The biggest increase was in roll on roll off traffic, which rose by 3 per cent. This followed the transfer of the Stena Line operation from Larne in November, and the expansion of existing cross channel ferry services to Heysham and Liverpool.

The number of passengers using the port increased from 472,000 in 1994 to 600,000 last year and is expected to rise to more than 1.5 million this year.

Traffic using Belfast's direct European container services increased by 27 per cent last year, and has doubled over the last, four years. New services were introduced to Le Havre and Antwerp by European Container Services, and to Rouen, Le Havre, and Bilbao by Bell Lines.

Stena Line operates nine freight, car and passenger sailings a day from its new multi million pound terminal. Its new £130 million high speed catamaran capable of carrying 1,500 passengers and up to 375 vehicles is due to come into service during the summer. Sea Containers, which has run the SeaCat service from Belfast to Stranraer since 1993, is introducing a new catamaran capable of taking 800 passengers and 175 cars.

There are now 15 roll on roll off container sailings a day between Belfast and British ports, with up to 14 passenger sailings. There are also seven container sailings direct to ports in mainland Europe.