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Hello. So, the landbridge has appeared in the news a good deal this week due to Brexit, which was kicked off by @SiCarswell's article last Monday on it.
I’d like to explore some of core issues around it with a thread 1/ https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/brexit-irish-hauliers-seek-state-help-to-bypass-uk-land-bridge-1.4359886
What is the landbridge?
It involves businesses accessing Britain's port and road networks in order to move trade to and from the European continent, e.g.:
Dublin - Heysham/Holyhead/Liverpool - Dover - Calais
Rosslare - Fishguard/Pembroke - Dover - Calais
2/
Why do businesses do this?
One simple issue: time. Its takes c. 20 hours to go from Dublin - Calais, a journey of c. 800km that takes you right to the core of EU's Single Market.
Combine this with frequent ferry sailings and a stable road network, its a winning formula.
3/
One simple issue: time. Its takes c. 20 hours to go from Dublin - Calais, a journey of c. 800km that takes you right to the core of EU's Single Market.Combine this with frequent ferry sailings and a stable road network, its a winning formula.
3/
And that frequency of sailings is important, offering stable choice to businesses.
Both Irish Ferries and Stena Line offer eight return sailings a day to Holyday that takes just over 3hrs.Its the reason why Holyhead is second to Dover in terms of UK port traffic.4/
But what about Rosslare-Europort?
Yes, it is the only other Irish port involved in the landbridge, but its sailing times are not as frequent and it takes slightly longer to get to Fishguard and Pembroke.
Remember, the frequency of sailings is often driven by demand.5/
It is great to see that @IrishRail are putting serious coin into Rosslare-Europort, as @ColinGleesonIT reports here from July.Its long overdue and will only serve the south-east and businesses and people beyond.6/ https://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/rosslare-europort-in-line-for-30m-upgrade-from-irish-rail-1.4295390
Data from the @IMDOIreland (2018) shows that demand is with Dublin, as the Central corridor dominates freight movements. Central = Dublin -
Continental = Ireland -
Northern = Belfast, Larne, Warrenpoint -
Southern = Rosslare -
7/
https://www.imdo.ie/Home/sites/default/files/IMDOFiles/A116819-IMDO-IMTE-Transport-Economist-Vol-16-web.pdf
So what is the winning landbridge formula?
Frequent sailings
Reliable road network
Quickest route to market
Common EU membership
All four facilitated an ease in which businesses could move up to 40% of Irish trade, which translates into about 150,000 lorries.
8/
Frequent sailingsReliable road networkQuickest route to marketCommon EU membershipAll four facilitated an ease in which businesses could move up to 40% of Irish trade, which translates into about 150,000 lorries.
8/
And then along comes Brexit.
It throws an almighty spanner into what was a stable trade route in and out of Ireland.And headlines like these from @pmdfoster, ain't putting anyone at ease in Ireland who uses the landbridge.9/ https://www.ft.com/content/aa42ac31-0aca-4c58-b6a8-b98618fba2d4
But what of direct services to EU? What of those 'Brexit-busting' ships (cc: @conor_pope)?Yes, they are there and those routes will be important no matter what shape Brexit arrives in.But just look back at the table in 7/ of this thread.
10/ https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/brexit-busting-ferry-launched-from-dublin-port-1.3468760?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fireland%2Firish-news%2Fbrexit-busting-ferry-launched-from-dublin-port-1.3468760
The uptake in businesses utilising those direct routes to the EU is much lower compared to other corridors.
And why?
Again it comes down to time.
Its takes c. 40hrs for that 'Brexit-busting' ship MV Celine to go Dublin - Zeebrugge vs. c. 20hrs on landbridge.11/
I've compiled a list of (what I hope) is all the EU direct routes.While you can get to Cherbourg in roughly same landbrdge time, the frequency of services is lower due to the time it takes to do a return sailing.
Also, that Brittany Ferries service starts in March 2021.
12/
So, we've come to rely on it heavily, but what does potential disruption from Brexit mean?
As @tconnellyRTE highlights here, Brexit brings a dilemma with the landbridge.13/ https://www.rte.ie/news/analysis-and-comment/2020/0703/1151272-brexit-land-bridge/
Losing time is the big concern here: "if you lose a day, you lose a market" as they say.How long will Irish lorries be stuck in Holyhead or Dover? And time is vital here, as @SiCarswell highlights here having traveled the entire thing in 2018.
14/ https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/putting-brexit-to-the-test-on-the-road-with-a-trucker-from-dublin-to-germany-1.3700114?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Fputting-brexit-to-the-test-on-the-road-with-a-trucker-from-dublin-to-germany-1.3700114
There is also news from @tconnellyRTE earlier this month, that British authorities are very aware that Ireland relies on the landbridge economically, and they are not afraid to highlight this.15/ https://www.rte.ie/news/brexit/2020/0907/1163607-brexit-landbridge-protocol-transition/
In response to all of these Brexit uncertainties, some have called for more routes to France, as it is our closest EU neighbour, and more capacity on routes.To the first point, those plans are already afoot, such as the signing of a MoU in 2018.16/ https://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/france-preparing-additional-sea-ports-for-irish-freight-traffic-after-brexit-1.3708174?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Ftransport-and-tourism%2Ffrance-preparing-additional-sea-ports-for-irish-freight-traffic-after-brexit-1.3708174
On capacity, ferry operators have stated that it does exist. Some have expanded already such as CLdN, as per RTÉ, and some of these ships can carry allot of lorries:MV Celine: 530MV Delphine: 530
MV Laureline: 36017/ https://www.rte.ie/news/brexit/2019/0329/1039355-brexit-dublin-port-shipping/ https://twitter.com/ThomasByrneTD/status/1309091469316235264
This all of course does not mean its easy sailing.
We don't know Brexit's final look.
We don't know the extent of any disruptions.
And some sectors (like agri-food) just have to use the landbridge due to time sensitivities.
18/
We don't know Brexit's final look.We don't know the extent of any disruptions.And some sectors (like agri-food) just have to use the landbridge due to time sensitivities.18/
As we wait for the some clarity to come with the landbridge, I can recommend reading the @IMDOIreland report from 2018 on this topic, which is the source of the figures from tweet 8/.19/ https://www.imdo.ie/Home/sites/default/files/IMDOFiles/A143219%20IMDO%20Landbridge%20Report-digital-draft1.pdf
As an island, we rely so much on the seas around us for our people and our goods to go to the places they need to get to.This is something to bear in mind, as we turn our focuses once more again to how decisions on Brexit in London will impact Ireland.20/
