UK's second busiest passenger ferry port reopens after incident

The UK's second busiest passenger ferry port is resuming service after a berthing incident as a ship docked forced it to close.

It is the second time in a year that Holyhead has been closed to ferries.

Stena Line, which operates the port, said the incident happened as its vessel Stena Estrid arrived on Wednesday morning from Dublin.

Irish Ferries said sailings would resume on schedule from 17:30 GMT on Wednesday.

Wales' transport secretary Ken Skates said he met with Stena representatives and "sought their reassurance on the integrity of the port and services".

The port operates Terminal 3 and Terminal 5.

However, Terminal 5 was closed following an incident in December as one of the ferries docked in the port.

Poor weather conditions delayed underwater surveys, with repair work expected to get underway this month.

In the meantime, both Stena Line and Irish Ferries were sharing Terminal 3, after altering their timetables to accommodate both services running from a single terminal.

But with Terminal 3 out of action, it meant no ships were able to dock.

The Stena ship Estrid was travelling from Dublin at 04:30 on Wednesday and was due to dock at 08:00.

The ferry company said all passengers and freight operators "disembarked as normal".

A Stena spokesperson said: "A berthing incident occurred on Wednesday 7 January 2026 as the Stena Estrid berthed at Holyhead Port.

"The incident is currently being investigated".

Eugene Drennan, of the Irish Road Haulage Association, said the ship hit one of the concrete platforms, which caused the damage.

He added: "We've been told work is ongoing to move that ship so that sailings can resume."

Drennan said the knock-on effect of the port closure is "huge", as it is the busiest in terms of traffic.

"One of the big issues has been communication. We should know what's happening," he added.

The decision to close the port comes a year after it was shut due to another berthing incident ahead of Storm Darragh in December 2024.

The port was closed until 16 January, when they were able to re-open Terminal 5 to traffic.

It was only able to return to full operations in July, following extensive repairs to Terminal 3.

The incidents led to calls for action to improve resilience at the port.

At just over 100 miles (161km) between Holyhead and Dublin, the three-hour and 15-minute crossing from north Wales is the quickest route between the UK mainland and the Republic of Ireland.

With more than 400,000 lorries and 400,000 cars using it every year, Holyhead is the second busiest passenger ferry port to Dover.

It is Wales' biggest international transport hub with almost double the amount of annual passengers of Wales' only major airport in Cardiff.

The Road Haulage Association urged people to keep up to date with the latest developments and "amend plans where necessary".

Rhun ap Iorwerth, Plaid Cymru leader and MS for Ynys Mon, said it was "worrying" that the port would have to close once again because of a berthing incident.

"Passengers, hauliers, and local businesses in Holyhead will rightfully be concerned and frustrated," he said.

"I'll be contacting both Stena Line and Welsh Government as a matter of urgency to understand what is being done to re-open the port as soon as possible."

He called for "firm assurances" about the long-term resilience of the port.