P&O FERRIES has recorded its best third-quarter lorry and trailer traffic on its services between Cairnryan in south-west Scotland and Larne in Northern Ireland since 2011.

The ferry and logistics company – which highlighted its operation of “the shortest…ferry services between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain” - carried 53,305 lorries and trailers on its ships during the three months to September.

This figure, as well as being the best for the third quarter of any year since 2011, represented a 3.3 per cent increase on the same period of 2016, P&O Ferries noted.

Neal Mernock, P&O Ferries sector director for the Irish Sea, said: “We are delighted that more and more freight customers are experiencing for themselves the benefits of transporting goods between Northern Ireland and Britain with us.”

He added: “Our port at Larne is fast becoming the gateway of choice for anyone exporting to or from Ireland.

“It has outstanding connections via rail and road, especially after the upgrading of the A8 dual carriageway, and is nine miles closer to Scotland than the port at Belfast.”

P&O Ferries operates seven sailings a day between Larne and Cairnryan using two, 21,000-ton sister vessels, European Causeway and European Highlander.

It said the service provided a bridge for goods being transported between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and Britain, and also on to the Continent via its connecting services from Dover, Tilbury, Hull and Teesport in England.

Mr Mernock said: “At just two hours in total, the journey time on our sailings is up to 30 minutes shorter than if you travel with our competitors.

“This means that lorry drivers can spend less time on the ships and more time on the road.”

P&O Ferries sails on eight major routes between mainland Britain, France, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Holland and Belgium.

It operates more than 20 vessels that carry 10 million passengers, 1.6 million cars and 2.2 million freight units annually.