Tirrenia Lines has announced that as of the 1^st of September 2017 they will begin operation of six weekly cargo shipments to Catania.

After an absence of more than 29 years, the ferry company has now announced plans to run daily crossings thereby solidifying its commitment to increasing its services to its customers.

A dedicated vessel will provide services on the new cargo route linking Livorno to Catania. This will be in addition to the 13 pre-existing Tirrenia Lines routes already being operated. Tirrenia Lines already caters for both cargo and passengers on the Sicily to mainland Italy routes, as well as a route to the Tremiti Islands in the Adriatic Sea.

Moreover, Tirrenia Lines have also announced a series of improvements and financial investments for the port of Catania, aimed at enhancing the pre-existing port infrastructure. In collaboration with the local Port Authority the eventual aim is to transform Catania into a real Hub for future connections with North Africa and the Mediterranean Basin.

With the relaunch of the Genoa-Livorno-Catania-Malta route, Tirrenia Lines are hoping to consolidate their position by providing a service aimed at improving connections to both Sicily and Malta. With three trips from Genoa to Catania being offered as well as three from Livorno to Catania, while the Catania - Malta-Catania route will have 2 scheduled weekly departures. Following on from this, Tirrenia then plans to increase the frequency on these routes. In order to meet these additional demands two new Ro-Ro vessels will be deployed: The Eliana Marino and the Via Adriatico. The Via Adriatico, for example will offer space for up to 75 drivers in 25 triple cabins.

The managing director of the SMS Group, Simon Mifsud said the following in regards to the service being opened:

"This is a very popular route and the competition provided by Tirrenia will no doubt be of great interest to clients, who until recently had no alternatives.”

This announcement will no doubt be extremely positive news for freight operators and logistic companies who are seeking to expand their operations to Malta and beyond!