Stena Line will add two new Superfast ferries on its Scotland-Northern Ireland service in autumn 2011.
The move coincides with the opening of its new £80 million Loch Ryan Port at Cairnryan.
Sister ships, Superfast VII and Superfast VIII, will replace the HSS Stena Voyager, Stena Caledonia and Stena Navigator, which currently operate between the two countries.
The Superfast vessels, the biggest ships ever to operate on the Scotland-Northern Ireland route, will cater for both passenger and freight traffic.
Each ship can carry up to 1,200 passengers, around 660 cars or 110 freight vehicles and will be able to complete the journey between Scotland and the heart of Belfast in 2 hours, 15 minutes.
By Bev Fearis
