From 5 January, 2014, there will be a new weekly freight service between Poole and Gijón.
The Poole-Gijón service will leave the Dorset port on Tuesdays with the return leg departing from Spain on Fridays.
The same shipping line will next month also launch the “first-ever ferry link between Ireland, Western France and Northern Spain,” connecting the ports of Rosslare, St.Nazaire and Gijón with a weekly round trip, effective 7 January 2014.
Both of the new routes will be served by the Norman Asturias and its sister ship Scintu which each offer of capacity for up 110 freight vehicles or 150 cargo trailers.
The expansion follows “positive early haulier response” to the new Poole-Santander route with freight traffic ultilisation of up to 90% since the service commenced in early November.
The service operates from Poole on Saturdays and returns from Santander on Sundays, by-passing the weekend freight vehicle driving ban in France.