Andy Kane, centre, from Stena Line Freight, is pictured accepting Stena Lines Shipping Line of the Year award from Enda Connellan of award sponsor Dublin Port and TV personality Nuala McKeever

Andy Kane, centre, from Stena Line Freight, is pictured accepting Stena Lines Shipping Line of the Year award from Enda Connellan of award sponsor Dublin Port and TV personality Nuala McKeever

Stena Line Freight has won the Shipping Line of the Year award at the prestigious Export & Freight Transport & Logistics Awards 2008, the premier event in the Irish transport calendar.

An independent panel of expert judges said that Stena Line Freight “ticked all the right boxes” by its continual investment in ships, services and staff.

As the largest ferry operator in Europe, Stena Line Freight carries almost two million units a year and operates 44 sailings on the Irish Sea and North Sea.

Stena Line Freight commercial service manager Andy Kane collected the award from television personality Nuala McKeever at a glittering awards ceremony in the Ramada Hotel in Belfast. “We are delighted to be named as the Shipping Line of the Year and believe this award is a true reflection of how we have performed to date,” he said.

Stena Line Freight commercial manager Frank Nieuwenhuys added: “We take pride in ensuring we provide a first-class service for our customers and this prestigious accolade is a true reflection of how Stena Line strives to stay ahead of the competition.

“We have continued to invest in our services and a prime example of this was the launch of our new £37 million terminal in the Port of Belfast in May. This investment came on the back of a £2m refit of the Stena HSS on the Belfast to Stranraer route and a £5m refit of the Stena Seatrader on the Dublin to Holyhead route. To this end, I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to our success,” he added.

Stena Line Freight operates eight routes on the Irish and North Sea. These include Holyhead to Dublin Port, Fishguard to Rosslare, Stranraer to Belfast, Fleetwood to Larne, Killingholme to Hoek van Holland, Harwich to Hoek van Holland and Harwich to Rotterdam.