Quays, Peel Ports, c Google Earth snapshot

The port saw a 20% increase in activity last year. Credit: Google Earth

Stena Line to invest £17m to overcome Birkenhead ‘challenges’

Planned upgrades at the 12 Quays Terminal are aimed at increasing freight parking capacity.

Stena Line launched a Birkenhead to Dublin freight service in 2024 and since then has seen a significant increase in activity at the port. Some 315,000 freight units passed through the port in 2024, a 20% increase year-on-year.

The £17m investment is a response to this and seeks to futureproof the port’s operations and improve traffic flow and health and safety.

Andrew Kane, regional port operations manager at Stena Line, said: “The significant growth of our services through 12 Quays in Birkenhead has created operational challenges with an increase in unaccompanied freight and traffic build up.

“With the potential for further growth, we are futureproofing the port with 200 additional freight parking spaces to ensure that we can facilitate our customers’ needs and we are sure this expansion will be welcomed by the market.”

Phil Hall, port director at Peel Ports Group, said: “Ongoing enhancements at the 12 Quays Terminal in Birkenhead are improving facilities to support continued growth, ensuring that both passenger and freight customers enjoy the highest level of service.

“The strong partnership between Peel Ports Group and Stena Line reflects a shared commitment to sustainably developing the Liverpool to Dublin and Belfast routes for the future.”

Your Comments

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All sounds good but what have they done regarding drivers facilities plus parking… Increasing the volume means more drivers requiring parking…

By Anonymous

The traffic at times when ship is in is horrendous with all the wagons blocking from the red bridge ect. An with being a taxi driver I won’t even pick customers up from there as there is no way u van get through it’s just grid locked..

By John

How about a passenger /freight service from Birkenhead the same as holyhead-Dublin.cars motor cycles caravans etc

By Anonymous

I wish that Stenna would stop keeping us all awake with the Noise that they make in the early hours of the morning.
I wish they would go somewhere else.

By Anonymous

Growth is obviously due to cessation of P&O withdrawal from Bootle, sadly not replaced by a passenger route to Dublin. I hate having to drive to Holyhead!

By Eamon Egan

Why not restore the railway link from Birkenhead docks, the infrastructure of such is still mainly intact

By David Moore

I reckon a full passenger/freight ferry from the Mersey to Dublin would get support, Birkenhead docks too would would be convenient for smaller container ships, maybe Peel could transfer a couple of cranes from Seaforth as I believe it is being upgraded.

By Anonymous

Can you tell me if this route will be available to passengers and cars going from Liverpool to Dublin.

By [email protected]

The traffic in the morning rush hour is horrendous because the lorries block the exit on the roundabout. The road at this point needs widening somehow as the congestion is causing misery for people trying to get to work.

By Gill

So P&O have cleared off from Bootle
Probably due to no parking or driver facilities an item Peel can’t be bothered to address

By George

Employ more freight tug drivers so ferry’s leave on time last time a ferry left on time was in covid

By Anonymous

Good to see continued investment on the Mersey… As the Dock was opened in 1847 I think complaining about the noise and getting the to move is a big ask. Somewhere inland may not be the most tenable position for a boat.

By G McCain

There needs to be compensation and an a faster ferry on the Belfast Route.
The time taken to dock in Birkenhead is disgraceful.

By Frustrated

All they want is profit. Health and safety out the window when it comes to truck drivers ,peel ports should shoulder some responsibility

By Truck driver

As with Eamon’s comment desperately want to see the Liverpool Dublin sailing reinstated I also hate the journey to Holyhead so much so that I now fly instead.

By Peter

Zero for trucks….

By Jeff

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