A total of £10m in being pumped into Heysham Port to improve capacity and efficiency at the site.

Port bosses say that not only will the move bring benefits to hauliers operating at the facility in Lancashire, the funding will also have a positive impact on the regular Stena Line and Steam Packet sailings running to and from the site.

Peel Ports - the UK’s second largest port operator – says the substantial investment will future-proof operations and resilience at the port.

It says the funding will also help to increase the volume of freight that can pass through the site.

The improvement project will see the port’s trailer park being reconfigured while a new multi lane smart gate operating system and a state-of-the-art terminal operating system will also be installed at the facility.

Peel Ports says the investment will benefit all operators at Heysham Port, with Isle of Man Steam Packet, CLDN and Stena Line all set to gain from improved efficiency, increased capacity and enhanced terminal operations.

Brian Thomson, Isle of Man Steam Packet Company’s managing director said: ‘This investment is a significant step forward for the port, enhancing efficiency and capacity for all users.

‘We welcome these improvements, which will help us continue to grow our operations with confidence.’

Phil Hall, Mersey Port Director at Peel Ports Group, believes the move will be beneficial for decades.

He said: ‘This investment is hugely positive news for Heysham Port and the local community.

‘We believe this work will future-proof our operations here for decades to come, as well as create growth opportunities for the facility in the process.

‘We’ve already received great feedback from our customers about these plans, and it’s clear this infrastructure investment will really benefit our operations here in the years ahead.’

The extra space created by reconfiguring the site’s trailer park aims to accommodate future growth at the port, including Stena Line’s deployment of two new-build state-of-the-art ‘NewMax’ ferries at the port.

The vessels are set to boost freight capacity by 40% compared to previous ships, and the works will also lead to operational time savings for customers.

Port bosses say the planned new gate operating system should lead to a better experience for hauliers and reduce congestion and create additional space at the facility.

The works are due to begin in the coming weeks.

Paul Grant, regional trade director at Stena Line, said: ‘We welcome the investment from Peel Ports into the operations and additional space at Heysham Port.

‘We have seen sustained growth in the unaccompanied freight market on this route, and we expect this trend to continue as we add further capacity.

‘With the first of our new hybrid ships due to begin on the route later this year, the improved efficiency and extra space at the terminal will help facilitate the additional traffic and ensure a reliable service for our customers.’

Robbie Niblock, Head of Commercial, CLdN RoRo Ltd added: ‘We were extremely pleased to hear about this investment, which will only improve our day-to-day experience working at the port.’