Christmas travel chaos for 150,000 people as major UK port closes due to storm damage
Christmas travel chaos for 150,000 people as major UK port closes due to storm damage
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Damage caused by Storm Darragh has forced the Port of Holyhead, in Wales, to close until at least January 15, 2025, impacting up to 150,000 people's Christmas travel plans. Storm damage at the Port of Holyhead, which serves key routes between Britain and Ireland, has caused it to close for the festive period affecting thousands of people who planned to travel to Ireland for Christmas.
The port was originally due to reopen on December 20, however, Terminal 3 and Terminal 5 ferry berths will remain closed as a result of damage caused by Storm Darragh. Terminal 3 faced two incidents which impacted the berth on December 6 and 7, and also resulted in part of the structure collapsing.
Stena Line and Irish Ferries each operate four ferry sailings a day, travelling each way between Holyhead and Dublin. As a result of the port closing, all sailings have been forced to cancel, leaving around 150,000 who planned to use the ferries in the lead up to Christmas, to arrange alternative travel routes.
The Holyhead-Dublin ferry route is the second busiest in the UK and on average, two million passengers use Holyhead each year, with about 1,200 lorries and trailers using the crossing each day. In addition, the closure has already led to Ireland's national postal service abandoning plans to use Holyhead for Christmas deliveries as well as flight prices soaring, up to £500.
