A ro-pax ferry currently under construction for the Italian Visentini Group at its own Donada yard north of Venice is being chartered by Stena Line and will be introduced on the Holyhead-Dublin service in March. To be named Stena Forwarder, the 2,100 lane metres capacity vessel will be able to carry up to 1,000 passengers, double the number of the vessel it replaces, the recently sold Stena Challenger. Stena Forwarder also has cabin accommodation and is to be chartered for an initial two years to run into Dublin Ferryport in support of the HSS 1500 Stena Explorer on the Holyhead-Dun Laoghaire route, Stena seeing the new vessel as providing a boost to freight, passenger and coach traffic. With a service speed of 24 knots, Stena Forwarder will also trim 45 minutes off the crossing making journey times about three hours.
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