Stena Line has announced the return of its Stena Express fast-ferry service between Fishguard and Rosslare, bringing travel to Ireland in less than  two hours.

The first sailing will take place at 08:00 hrs on April 29 the vessel having undergone a refit of almost £1 million to make it the best option for fast travel to Ireland.

Route Director, Vic Goodwin believes the launch of Stena Express is great news for travellers:

"The money that has been spent on the vessel will ensure consistently fast crossings in a modern and fully equipped ferry designed to help passengers arrive at their destination refreshed and ready to go.

"The Express service increases the range of options available to travellers and makes it even easier to make the hop across to Ireland. "We see a large number of people taking short-breaks and even day-trips to Ireland each year. These fast crossing times serve to bring Ireland even closer, making travel times the equivalent of a car journey to South West England."

The Stena Express, which carries 650 passengers and up to 150 cars, will operate between April and September in tandem with the Stena Europe which runs all year round on the Fishguard to Rosslare route.