With increasing traffic on the crossing, there was speculation that "Isle of Lewis" might be replaced by a larger vessel. In September 2013 the freight vessel was chartered to relieve pressure on the route. On 10 June 2012, it was announced that a new £42 million replacement ferry was to be built in Germany. The new 116 metre long ROPAX ferry was named and is capable of continuous operation, with a capacity for up to 700 passengers, and 143 cars or 20 commercial vehicles. "Loch Seaforth" entered service in mid-February 2015 and took over both passenger and freight duties on the route. Since moving to the Barra service in March 2016, "Isle of Lewis" has been relegated to the role of Stornoway relief ship each October when "Loch Seaforth" departs for overhaul, with a second relief ship taking care of overnight freight traffic, owing to "Isle of Lewis"' inability to carry certain hazardous cargo due to her fully enclosed and sealed car deck.