Success transferred instead to the GWR Fishguard Port from which the Cunard line began to operate.
    All was not lost however because in 1920 the LNWR achieved the sea mail contract and did this with four new steamers from Holyhead.
    The railways were nationalised in 1948 now being known as British Railways.
    The new motor vessel the Slieve Donard was introduced in 1954.  It was designed to carry cattle and containers.  Also in the 1950's a new import/export warehouse was built.
    The Holyhead Ferry 1 entered service in Holyhead in 1965.  She was able to ferry 150 cars and 1,000 passengers.
    In 1968 a new container service operated between Holyhead and Dun Laoghaire on the m.v.Harrogate, with the Darlington and Selby ships also running when required.  A fully automated, high-capacity service was brought into operation at Holyhead to be operated by two new cellular container ships, with freightliner trains linking with Sheffield, Nottingham, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and London with connections to Stockton and Cardiff via Zeebrugge and Harwich, Rotterdam, and European Services.  The Brian Boroime and Rhodri Mawr were on the new service in 1970, taking up to 3,000 tons of containers.
    The Britannia bridge (across the Menai Straits) burnt down and the containers transferred to Caernarvon, from where about 45 containers were transported daily by road to Holyhead.  Other containers were also transported from Bangor and Gaerwen.  In November 1970 Irish livestock traffic began again with over 105,000 leaving Holyhead by road to Menai Bridge.  When the Britannia Bridge re-opened, the people of Holyhead celebrated with fireworks - the sounding of ship's hooters and the cheering crowds welcomed the Cambria ship into Holyhead at the end of January 1972.
    The Holyhead Ferry 1 was replaced by two ships in 1973, called the Lord Warden and Duke of Rothsay.  In the mid 1970's the port provided all year-round car ferry services.  A new terminal was built and improvements were made to the Customs hall, mail and baggage facilities with facilities being extended to motor vehicles. 
    In May 1977 the new passenger ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) 8,000 ton ship the St. Columba commenced two sailings daily to Dun Laoghaire.  The Columba could carry 325 cars, 2,400 passengers.  The Avalon acted a a summer relief ship.  The Rail House and the red-bricked Station Hotel were demolished in 1978, to make way for a new modernised                            CLICK HERE to continue ..........