Multimodal logistics operator CLdN is about to launch a new Zeebrugge-Cork-Dublin container shipping service. The lift-on/lift-off (Lo-Lo) container service will boost capacity and flexibility, says the company. Weekly sailings begin this weekend.
The new service, which will commence on Saturday (10 May), will be operated with the 800 TEU MV JSP Rover, chartered specifically for this route. It will call at CLdN’s Albert II terminal in Zeebrugge and serve both Cork and Dublin ports. CLdN says it’s a further strengthening of its position on the Irish trades and will expand capacity for shippers moving freight between mainland Europe and the Republic of Ireland.
More RoRo space too
Cork will for the first time be served by a LoLo operation from CLdN. The company has hailed it as a strategic addition to its Irish offering. The new service complements its existing four-times-a-week Ro-Ro sailings between Zeebrugge and Ireland (two each to Cork and Dublin). It brings the total number of weekly return sailings between Ireland and CLdN’s continental hubs in Zeebrugge and Rotterdam to fourteen.
In addition to meeting growing customer demand for freight capacity on this corridor, CLdN says the deployment of a dedicated Lo-Lo vessel will also free up space across its Ro-Ro fleet and enable further optimisation of vessel deployment and customer service.
Sailings work around port accessibility
The schedule sees vessels departing Zeebrugge every Saturday evening at 1900, reaching Cork by 0700 Monday morning. From there, the ship continues to Dublin, departing Cork at 1700 on Monday and arriving in the capital by midday Tuesday. The final leg of the loop returns to Zeebrugge, with departures from Dublin at 0700 on Wednesday and arrival in Belgium by 0500 on Friday.
CLdN’s terminal operations have been optimised around the sailings. The company says on its schedule that there is lift availability at Zeebrugge from Monday to Saturday, 0600 to 2100. The Cork terminal operates weekdays from 0800 to 1730. Dublin provides the widest access, including limited weekend hours. “The route reinforces our commitment to offering streamlined, reliable logistics between Belgium and Ireland, providing vital support for businesses on both sides of the Irish Sea,” said the company.
Continued expansion plans
The service follows the model of CLdN’s combined Lo-Lo and Ro-Ro offering from Rotterdam. That service was introduced last year, and it forms part of a broader strategic shift that includes a series of newbuild container vessels scheduled for delivery starting January 2027. Last September, the Luxembourg headquartered company announced an order for ten newbuild Lo-Lo container vessels.
Since launching its first cargo service to Ireland in 1999, CLdN has steadily expanded its Irish footprint. It now ships over 500,000 cargo units annually to and from the Republic of Ireland, making it the largest ferry freight operator linking Ireland with both mainland Europe and Great Britain.
