Local transport firms grapple with impact of Holyhead closure

A Ballinlough-based transport company is grappling with longer trips to get goods to and from Contintental Europe in the wake of the closure of Holyhead port in Wales.

Paul Jordan's company Transzone Ltd, based on the Ballyhaunis Road in Ballinlough, has had to adjust to new, longer routes through the Birkenhead port near Liverpool and the Fishguard port in Wales. This has meant higher mileage and related diesel and wage bills. 

“Our drivers might be three extra days on a trip,” explained Mr Jordan, who is nonetheless pleased that his firm has hit all its deliveries within the turnaround times required by customers.

“Whereas Dublin-Holyhead takes three and a half hours, the Birkenhead trip takes eight hours, though Birkenhead brings you further into Britain,” he added.

There was a “scramble” by freight companies to find alternative routes in the wake of the closure of Holyhead following Storm Darragh last month. 

“Things have settled down in the past two weeks,” Mr Jordan added.

Even with the Irish government putting much emphasis post-Brexit on opening new freight routes to France and Spain, the ‘land bridge’ through Britain remains more popular with truckers because of the greater frequency of sailings from Britain to the continent, Mr Jordan explained.

“The Rosslare to Cherbourg boat could be delayed. Our quickest route is Dublin Holyhead and then crossing from Hull to Rotterdam."

It would take "really bad weather" to cancel the Dublin-Holyhead or Hull-Rotterdam route whereas the more infrequent Cherbourg route is more likely to be cancelled or delayed due to bad weather, he explained.

Mr Jordan expects it will be several more weeks, if not months, before Holyhead port reopens and thinks the port may have been due some maintenance anyway. 

“When the damage was done initially they said it could be a couple of weeks but the jetties were eroded,” said Jordan who has heard April as a more realistic date for reopening.