UK & Ireland Port Congestion Report
Operational advisory, not a numerical congestion ranking
No comparable, timestamped primary measurement was verified this week for port-wide waiting times, vessel queues, berth utilisation or congestion scores. Unknown does not mean normal: it means the evidence needed to calculate a defensible ranking was unavailable.
Weekly evidence summary
Liverpool added two Langton Lock closure windows for 27 and 28 September and amended its South Gladstone notice to extend the affected quay closure to 2 October. Dublin Port scheduled a capital-dredging campaign from 1 October for approximately two weeks. Belfast’s archive added a turbidity-buoy notice, but its operational detail was not available from the linked public page. Current Met Office forecasts carry no formal gale warning for the Irish Sea or Malin, while relevant coastal areas retain strong-wind warnings. These are local operating constraints and weather context—not measurements of port-wide congestion.
Verified position at publication
| Port or area | Verified finding | Evidence time | What importers should check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liverpool | Notice 65 schedules Langton Lock closed to vessel movements from 15:00–20:00 on 27 September and 14:00–19:00 on 28 September. Amended Notice 57 extends the South Gladstone Branch Dock No. 2 south-quay closure to 19:00 on 2 October. Notice 55 keeps S7 and part of S8 at Royal Seaforth closed through 29 September. | Peel Ports index and notices rechecked 25 September at 15:32 BST. | Confirm lock routing, berth allocation, vessel plan and terminal collection slot with the carrier, terminal or Dockmaster before dispatch. |
| Dublin | Notice 49 schedules capital dredging from 1 October for approximately two weeks at named berths, Alexandra Basin East and inner-fairway locations. Vessels are told to pass slowly and allow for dredging craft with restricted manoeuvrability. | Dublin Port index and Notice 49 rechecked 25 September at 15:32 BST. | Ask the carrier or Dublin Port VTS which work area applies to the call and whether the approximately two-week programme changes manoeuvring or cut-off arrangements. |
| Belfast | Notice 15’s Oil Berth 3 works and Notice 19’s revised berth-depth restrictions remain relevant. The archive now lists Notice 22 for turbidity-buoy deployment, but the linked page did not expose its dates, positions or navigation instructions. | Belfast Harbour archive rechecked 25 September at 15:32 BST. | Confirm declared berth depth, any towage requirement and the current buoy position directly with Port Operations or the carrier. |
| Irish Sea / Holyhead | The 10:30 BST shipping forecast has no formal gale warning for the Irish Sea or Malin. Irish Sea winds may reach force 6 later. Strong-wind warnings cover Great Orme Head to the Mull of Galloway, the Isle of Man, Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough and the North Channel. | Met Office shipping forecast issued 25 September at 10:30 BST; inshore forecast rechecked at publication. | Check the operator’s live sailing notice, driver cut-off and terminal appointment before collection. Weather advice does not prove a port delay. |
| Other 13 covered ports | No current, comparable port-wide queue, waiting-time or berth-utilisation measurement was verified. Conditions are therefore unknown, not zero or normal. | Evidence ledger and primary-source coverage reviewed 25 September. | Use the 17-port tracker for source coverage and confirm shipment-specific conditions before routing. |
What changed over the past seven days
- Liverpool published new weekend lock restrictions. Notice 65 adds two dated Langton Lock closure windows on 27 and 28 September. This is the clearest new scheduling constraint for early-week Liverpool movements.
- South Gladstone’s restriction was extended. Amended Notice 57 moves the stated end from 27 September to 19:00 on 2 October. This supersedes the earlier end date used in the 18 September report.
- Dublin published a forward dredging notice. Notice 49 schedules capital dredging from 1 October for approximately two weeks. The approximate duration is not a confirmed completion date.
- Belfast added Notice 22. Its title identifies turbidity-buoy deployment for D3 works, but public operational detail remained unavailable, so no positions or effects are inferred.
- Relevant gale warnings cleared. The Irish Sea and Malin have no formal gale warning in the current shipping forecast, although coastal strong-wind warnings remain. That change does not prove congestion improved.
No numerical week-on-week congestion change is calculated because there are no comparable verified port-wide measurements for either week.
Primary evidence
- Peel Ports: Liverpool notice index; Notice 65; amended Notice 57; Notice 55.
- Dublin Port: official 2026 notice index and Notice 49.
- Belfast Harbour: official notice archive; Notice 15; Notice 19 Revision 1.
- Met Office on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency: shipping forecast and inshore waters forecast.
Questions to ask before booking or collection
- Does the vessel plan use Langton Lock during either 27–28 September closure window?
- Does the South Gladstone or Royal Seaforth restricted quay affect the nominated berth or collection route?
- Will Dublin’s planned dredging area affect the vessel call after 1 October?
- Has the sailing status, terminal cut-off or vehicle appointment changed since confirmation?
- Are customs release, port health or transit documents complete before dispatch?
- When does free time begin, and who bears demurrage, detention or storage if the plan changes?
Plan a shipment around these notices
Carrgo can check the intended port, service and routing against the available operational evidence. For a shipment-specific plan, use the quote form with origin, destination, goods and approximate weight or volume. You can choose “I’m not sure” for dimensions.
Sea freight · Customs clearance · Dublin freight route · Belfast freight route
Methodology and limitations
Carrgo reviews dated public primary sources and records each supported claim at the narrowest defensible level. Port or terminal notices support only the location and period they name. Weather forecasts describe sea or coastal areas and are not treated as evidence of terminal queues. Carrgo does not currently use a verified AIS feed and does not calculate a numerical congestion, health, queue or berth-utilisation score without traceable measurements and a reproducible method. Missing values remain unknown. Advice is separated from facts, and users should confirm time-sensitive arrangements with the relevant carrier, terminal, port or VTS.
View the 17-port evidence tracker · Download JSON evidence · Download CSV evidence · Report archive