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In 1969 responsibility for the shipping services run by nationalised British Rail was taken away from the individual BR regions and given to the a new division called the British Rail Shipping and International Services Division. From 1970 to 1984 these services were marketed under the Sealink name. During this period the passenger only vessels traditionally used by the railway companies were gradually replaced by roll-on-roll-off vehicle and passenger ferries. However, services to Northern Ireland from Scotland had roll-on-roll-off vessels since 1948, with Larne and Stranraer being the first ports in the UK with drive on ramps.
In readiness for privatisation the ferry business was incorporated as Sealink UK Limited in 1978. This followed a decline in the traditional rail-linked passenger traffic on the ferries and the increase in both passenger and freight vehicular traffic on Sealink services. The UK Government sold Sealink UK to Sea Containers on 27 July 1984. Sea Containers rebranded the operation as Sealink British Ferries, adapting the recently adopted new Sealink livery adopted for privatisation in the process.
The Sealink/British Rail car ferry ANTRIM PRINCESS arriving at Larne from Stranraer. This was in the run-up to privatisation of the BR ferry and harbours division (Sealink) - the broken arrows had been removed from the funnel. Albert Bridge [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Sealink was the shipping division of then nationalised British Rail. As part of the preparations for privatisation a new livery designed by H&P associates to differentiate the operation from the British Rail corporate image was introduced on the newly acquired (on charter from Stena) ST. NICHOLAS in March 1984. On 27 July 1984 the British government sold the core passenger and vehicle ferry business of Sealink to Sea Containers for £66m. The company was renamed Sealink British Ferries and used a modified version of the new livery.
SealinkSealink British Ferries' EARL HAROLD was the former Larne to Stranraer favourite AILSA PRINCESS. NIFS Archive
The Sealink ferry DARNIA served on the Larne-Stranraer route from 1978 to 1991 until the introduction of STENA ANTRIM (former ST CHRISTOPHER) following the takeover of Sealink British Ferries by Stena Line. Albert Bridge [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
The DARNIA awaiting departure from Larne with the (delayed) 11.30 to Stranraer on Fri 13th April 1990 in Sealink British Ferries livery. She was broken up in 2007 after sailing for a number of further operators. Albert Bridge [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Sealink British Ferries ST DAVID was a permanent addition to the Larne to Stranraer route from January 1986. Following the Stena Line takeover of Sealink British Ferries she was renamed STENA CALEDONIA. Sealink British Ferries (NIFS Archive).
EARL HAROLD is seen in dry dock at Belfast on 8th March 1986. Originally built in Italy as AILSA PRINCESS, she was delivered in 1971 for the Stranraer to Larne route. Her first decade was spent mainly on her home route, but with the arrival of more modern tonnage at Larne in the 1980's she moved around the Sealink network. Renamed EARL HAROLD in 1985 she would return to her original route on a couple of occasions before she was sold to Greek owners in 1989.
Built on the Tyne, in 1963, as a rail ferry for the Harwich – Zeebrugge service, the CAMBRIDGE FERRY spent a period as relief vessel during the 1990 winter overhauls of Sealink British Ferries' Larne – Stranraer ferries. Albert Bridge [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Sealink Stena Line publicity photograph of STENA ANTRIM. Sealink Stena Line.
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In the spring of 1990 the majority of the Sealink British Ferries business was sold to Stena Line following a hostile takeover bid (the sale excluded the English Channel hovercraft and Isle of Wight services though, which Sea Containers retained). Stena would rebrand the services as first Sealink Stena Line, then Stena Sealink Line, before finally rebranding the operation as Stena Line in 1996.
Sealink Stena Line publicity photograph of STENA ANTRIM. Sealink Stena Line.
STENA ANTRIM seen in Stranraer, September 21, 1992 in Sealink Stena Line livery.
In 1996 the Sealink brand disappeared from the UK ferry scene altogether following the decision by Stena Line to operate their UK services under the Stena Line brand without reference to Sealink. In Northern Ireland the change of branding coincided with the switch of port from Larne to a new purpose-built terminal at Belfast’s Albert Quay on the site of the former P&O Ardrossan terminal. Later that year Stena introduced their revolutionary HSS fast ferry HSS STENA VOYAGER to the route in direct completion with SeaCat who operated from Belfast’s Donegall Quay to Stranraer using a much smaller InCat craft. Stena Line UK and Ireland is based at Stena House in Holyhead, having moved from the former Sealink officies in Ashford (Kent). Stena Line no longer operate from the Albert Quay terminal, with services to Heysham (freight only), Birkenhead and Cairnryan operating from Victoria Terminal 1, 2, and 4 instead.
STENA NAVIGATOR and STENA CALEDONIA laid-up at the former Stena terminal at Albert Quay, Belfast. These ferries where the last passenger ferries built for the French and British state railway companies, SNCF and British Railways. Both continue in service in foreign waters at the time of writing. Copyright Alan Geddes
Steven is a ferry enthusiast from Belfast in Northern Ireland. He founded what was then NI Ferry Site in 2014. Since then the site has grown from nothing to an average of over 43k pageviews per month in 2020.