Brittany Ferries has confirmed it will step in to fill the gap left by a competitor’s withdrawal from the Rosslare Cherbourg ferry route. The company, which is based in Cork and Rosslare, will increase both capacity and frequency of sailings departing Rosslare Europort from the end of September.

Departures will rise from five to seven every week. This means a daily Brittany Ferries departure from Rosslare Europort, starting October 2025.

The move includes a new Tuesday evening departure at 21:00, with additional sailings to be phased in as part of a broader strengthening of the route. Full schedules will be published shortly, in the meantime, Brittany Ferries says it is ready to boost business continuity for Irish hauliers – and to offer more choice to holidaymakers.

This announcement reflects the close partnership of Brittany Ferries with Rosslare Europort, as well as the Port of Cherbourg. The company says long-term investment will strengthen trade links between Ireland and France, while offering modern ships, comfort, and a dependable alternative to air travel for passengers.

“Brittany Ferries is a company that prides itself on its ability to move quickly when opportunity knocks,” said Christophe Mathieu CEO Brittany Ferries. “News that our competitor was stepping back, started the firing pistol in a concerted effort to secure port slots and better serve customers in Ireland and France.”

“I am delighted that we are able to confirm this increase in capacity on the Cherbourg Rosslare route and thank Rosslare Europort and the Port of Cherbourg for their support. It means greater choice for holiday makers and even more opportunity for freight operators seeking to by-pass the UK entirely, cutting down on bureaucracy and delays at the UK border. Our new train connection in Cherbourg only adds further strings to the multimodal bow.”

Christened Ro-Ro Rail, the company’s first train is a further development in its route network. It connects Ireland with the Iberian peninsula via ferry and rail.  The rail line links Cherbourg and Bayonne, carrying unaccompanied trailers over 970km of the French rail network. Fewer emissions, competitive rates, and no need for accompanying drivers are key benefits.

Glenn Carr, Director Commercial Business Units for Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail  – Port Authority for Rosslare Europort – said, “we are delighted to further strengthen our partnership with Brittany Ferries and welcome their expansion to a daily service in each direction on the Rosslare to Cherbourg route.  Since Brexit, direct sailings between Rosslare Europort and the European continent have increased six-fold, and our priority has been to ensure we maintain that capacity and choice for industry and tourism alike.  There has been intense interest in additional Rosslare to Cherbourg sailings, and Brittany Ferries have demonstrated their can-do attitude by confirming this expansion with us so quickly, capitalising on the strength of the route for passenger and freight markets alike.”

Brittany Ferries launched a Rosslare to Cherbourg service in 2021. It was a post-Brexit response to demand from hauliers, to obviate the need to cross the UK-landbridge when moving freight between Ireland and France. Recently third, fourth and fifth weekly return-sailings had been added to the menu, as demand continued to rise.

Passenger and freight figures show the seaborne connection is ripe for further development. Passenger volumes have soared nearly 40% this year. Freight units have doubled.

The capacity boost is also good news for seafarers as several ships scheduled to be taken out of service over the winter  are now expected to serve the Rosslare-Cherbourg expansion.

Galicia for example, one of five new ships that joined the Brittany Ferries fleet in 2020 will serve Rosslare-Cherbourg throughout the winter, rather than being tied up. Pont-Aven, the company’s flagship, will also continue to sail during part of the winter period, after the company initially planned to lay her over.

Jean-Marc Roué, Brittany Ferries president, concluded, “It gives us great satisfaction to see the trust that the ports of Rosslare and Cherbourg have placed in us today. This decision stems from the quality of service offered by our crews and shore staff and I salute their constant investment in making our company exceptional for more than 50 years. Since its creation, Brittany Ferries has placed Ireland at the heart of its development and today it is a real consecration of the link that unites us, ever stronger, with the Normandy Region, as it has always been with the Brittany Region.“