The enhanced freight service on the Rosyth-Zeebrugge ferry route by DFDS Seaways began this week.
The schedule, which now sees two ships operate on the route, provides four departures a week from each port instead of three, allowing freight capacity on the service to be improved.
Sailing schedules have also been reconfigured to accommodate the delivery demands of key operators, specifically early Monday morning arrivals in both Rosyth and Zeebrugge.
Councillor Tony Martin, chairman of Fife Council’s enterprise, environment and transport committee, said, “The Rosyth to Zeebrugge ferry is a vital link for the freight industry in Fife and Scotland.
“I am pleased to see that DFDS Seaways has listened to our operators and adapted sailing schedules to meet the operational needs of our businesses.”
He added, “The extra capacity of these ships will also enhance the service.
“While it is unfortunate that there is currently no passenger service direct from Scotland, I hope that DFDS continues to review the situation and we will continue to work with our partners to explore any opportunities for a passenger ferry crossing into Europe in the future.”
The new ships to be deployed on the service are the Tor Finladia and the Tor Cimbria.
Both vessels will have capacity for around 130 trailers the Scottish Viking could accommodate 120 trailers.
The new freight service has been introduced after the Rosyth-Zeebrugge combined freight-passenger route, operated by the Scottish Viking vessel, ended last month