UK & Ireland Port Congestion Report — 30 October 2026
What importers need to know
- London Gateway: Maersk says its empty-container acceptance restrictions were lifted from 12:00 on 26 October and asks hauliers to secure a VBS booking before dispatch. This is carrier-specific recovery evidence, not proof of terminal-wide performance or other carriers’ arrangements.
- Liverpool: Notice 72/2026 schedules Gladstone Lock closed to vessel movements from 07:00 to 19:00 on Monday 2 November. Hornby Passage and Langton Lock may be an alternative subject to tide and Gladstone Dockmaster confirmation of vessel suitability.
- Belfast: Notice 29/2026 is now the latest listed notice, but the index does not expose its clarification detail. Notice 28’s temporary no-wake zone and Notice 24’s D3 dredging programme remain listed.
- Dublin: Notice 49/2026 remains latest. Its capital dredging campaign began on 1 October for approximately two weeks, but the public index still provides no confirmed completion or live operational-effect update.
- Weather context: The 11:30 UTC shipping forecast has no gale-warning heading for the Irish Sea, Shannon or Malin. The 12:00 UTC inshore forecast retains strong-wind warnings for Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough and the North Channel, with force 6 only at first and easing. Weather forecasts are not proof of port congestion.
Current evidence table
| Area | Verified fact | Measured congestion | Importer check |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Gateway | Maersk says empty returns resumed from 12:00 on 26 October; a VBS booking is required before dispatch. | Unknown | Confirm the current empty-return depot in MATS, obtain the VBS slot and check whether the instruction applies to the carrier and container held. |
| Liverpool | Gladstone Lock is scheduled closed on 2 November from 07:00 to 19:00; the conditional alternative is via Hornby Passage and Langton Lock. | Unknown | Ask whether the booked vessel is suitable for the alternative route, what tide constraint applies, and whether cut-off, berth or collection timing changes. |
| Belfast | Notice 29 is latest, but its detail is not exposed by the index. The D1/D3 no-wake zone and D3 dredging programme remain listed. | Unknown | Confirm current Belfast VTS instructions, berth sequence and any one-way traffic or collection effect for the specific call. |
| Dublin | Notice 49 remains latest; the index provides no confirmed completion update for the campaign that began 1 October. | Unknown | Ask Dublin Port or the carrier for the live work stage and any vessel- or terminal-specific restriction before relying on the approximate duration. |
| Irish Sea, Shannon, Malin and Northern Ireland inshore sectors | No gale-warning heading for Irish Sea, Shannon or Malin at 11:30 UTC; strong-wind warnings remain for two Northern Ireland inshore sectors at 12:00 UTC and are forecast to ease. | Not a congestion measure | Check sailing, terminal and haulier confirmations near cut-off; do not infer cancellation or delay from a weather forecast alone. |
| Other 13 ports in the ledger | No new primary port-wide measurements suitable for comparison were verified. | Unknown | Request shipment-specific confirmation of vessel ETA, berth window, terminal availability and collection slot. |
What changed over the past seven days
London Gateway recovery evidence is new. Maersk’s 26 October advisory says its empty-container acceptance restrictions were lifted and VBS slots were available. Because the notice is carrier-specific, this report does not extend that statement to other carriers or convert it into a terminal-wide congestion conclusion.
Liverpool’s planning constraint moved from one lock to another. The 23 October edition recorded a scheduled Langton Lock closure for 24–25 October. Notice 72 now schedules Gladstone Lock closed on 2 November. The earlier window’s expiry is not treated as proof of reopening; the current decision point is vessel suitability and tide for the stated alternative route.
Belfast’s notice sequence advanced, but the operational effect is unknown. Notice 29 is now listed ahead of Notice 28, yet the index only identifies it as a clarification of turbidity-buoy deployment for D3 works. Without the notice text, no traffic or delay effect is inferred. Dublin’s latest notice remains 49, so no fresh Dublin disruption is claimed.
The marine-weather context is less severe for the principal reviewed sea areas than on 23 October. The current shipping product has no gale-warning heading for Irish Sea, Shannon or Malin. Northern Ireland inshore strong-wind warnings remain, but the forecast says the winds decrease. This is a comparison of official warning products, not a measured change in port congestion.
Booking and collection questions
- Has the carrier or terminal confirmed the vessel’s latest ETA, berth window and cargo-availability time?
- At London Gateway, does the current MATS instruction match the carrier and container, and is a VBS slot confirmed before dispatch?
- For Liverpool on 2 November, is the vessel suitable for Hornby Passage and Langton Lock, and what tide or Dockmaster condition applies?
- For Belfast, are current VTS instructions, one-way movements or speed controls affecting the call?
- Does the haulier hold a confirmed collection slot, and what happens if vessel or terminal availability moves?
- When do demurrage, detention or storage clocks begin under the booking actually held?
Advice: These are planning questions, not a forecast. Shipment decisions should follow the carrier, terminal, port authority and haulier instructions applicable to the booking.
Primary evidence
- Maersk — London Gateway empty-container acceptance resumed (published 26 October; rechecked 30 October).
- Peel Ports Notice 72/2026 — temporary closure of Gladstone Lock (published 27 October; rechecked 30 October).
- Peel Ports Liverpool current notices (rechecked 30 October).
- Belfast Harbour Notice to Mariners index (rechecked 30 October).
- Dublin Port 2026 Notice to Mariners index (rechecked 30 October).
- Met Office shipping forecast (issued 11:30 UTC on 30 October).
- Met Office inshore waters forecast (issued 12:00 UTC on 30 October).
Methodology and limitations
Carrgo reviewed the public primary port-notice indexes and documents represented in the evidence ledger, then independently rechecked every source used in this edition. Each record separates source publication time, Carrgo check time and any stated validity window. Notices support only their stated location and period. A carrier advisory supports that carrier’s instruction only. Weather forecasts provide operational context but do not establish congestion.
No AIS-derived queue, berth-utilisation, waiting-time or terminal-dwell dataset was available under a documented reproducible method for this edition. Missing values therefore remain null. No numerical score, ranking, forecast or historical percentage change is generated. A “health score” would run higher-is-better and a “congestion score” higher-is-worse; neither is currently verified or published here.
The evidence is a point-in-time public-source review. Port authorities, carriers, terminals and weather services may amend notices after the stated check time. The CSV republishes Carrgo’s factual summaries and source links only; source documents remain under their owners’ rights and are not relicensed.
Evidence downloads and related guidance
Download the dated JSON ledger · Download the dated CSV evidence extract · Open the 17-port evidence tracker · Browse dated editions
Planning a shipment affected by these notices? Review Carrgo’s sea freight service, customs clearance support, London Gateway port guide, Liverpool port guide, Belfast port guide and Dublin port guide. For a shipment-specific check, use the quote form on this page or request a freight quote.
Publisher and corrections
Published by CARRGO FREIGHT LTD. This is Carrgo’s original synthesis of linked public primary sources and is not independent reporting about Carrgo’s own services. Contact support@carrgo.co.uk with a source correction. Carrgo will preserve material corrections in the dated archive.