Editing Northern Counties Committee (section)

===Steamer services===
The Larne-Stranraer steamer service continued to prosper. A new steamer, the ''Princess Maud'', was delivered in May 1904. She was the first turbine steamer to operate on any of the cross-channel services on the Irish Sea. A further steamer arrived in 1912. The ''Princess Victoria'' was broadly similar to the ''Maud'' but with more powerful engines and improved passenger accommodation.

Meanwhile, the Midland Railway's Heysham-Belfast service began operations in September 1904 with three new ships, {{ship|TSS|Antrim|1904|2}}, ''Donegal'' and {{ship|TrSS|Londonderry|1904|2}}. The NCC was less involved in this route than that to Stranraer but managed the facilities at the Donegall Quay berth in Belfast and provided booking facilities both in Belfast and through booking from its stations.