A new Irish Sea ferry is set to go into service between Stranraer and Belfast. It is part of a £6m investment by Stena Line in the route and will see the number of daily crossings rise to 14. The Stena Navigator is its third vessel on the route between Scotland and Northern Ireland and can carry 1,500 passengers, 280 cars and 50 lorries.

Stena Line said the decision to invest on the route during a recession would ensure it was well-placed to capitalise when the economic conditions improved. The company has spent more than £100m on the route during the last decade including a new terminal in Belfast which opened last June. Plans are also with the Scottish government to construct a new terminal at Cairnryan which would see services move out of Stranraer.

A major announcement is expected about the future of Stena Line's Irish Sea ferry operations in Stranraer. It is believed it will confirm the company's relocation to nearby Cairnryan in order to make the crossing to Belfast quicker and save fuel.

First Minister Alex Salmond and Stena owner, Dan Sten Olsson, are scheduled to make an announcement in Edinburgh. The ferry port move would also allow a masterplan for the regeneration of Stranraer waterfront to proceed.

Stena's intention to leave Stranraer was first signalled in February 2003 with its proposed relocation site further up Loch Ryan at Old House Point. Shortly afterwards the company began talks with rivals P&O to look at sharing expanded facilities in Cairnryan. However, in 2007 those plans were dropped due to the prohibitive costs involved.

Last year Stena Line revealed it would revert to its original plans and make the move to Old House Point. It is expected the announcement will confirm those proposals can now go ahead.

A NEW £200 million ferry terminal that will cut crossing times between Scotland and Northern Ireland by 25 minutes was announced yesterday. The port at the mouth of Loch Ryan, which will replace the existing Stranraer terminal, is expected to safeguard 500 jobs, create around 900 more during its 20-month construction, save fuel, reduce carbon emissions and increase freight capacity.

First Minister Alex Salmond announced the relocation of Stena Line's operations yesterday, describing it as "seriously good news for Stranraer and for Scotland. This development will safeguard and create 1,400 jobs and trigger significant investment in Dumfries and Galloway."