Stena Line

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Stena Line
Type Private
Founded 1962
Headquarters Göteborg, Sweden
Key people Gunnar Blomdahl (MD & COO)
Industry Transport
Products Ferries, port services, passenger transportation, freight transportation, holidays, business travel
Revenue Image:green_up.png 9 billion SEK (2004)
Employees 5,700 (2004)
Slogan (1) "The No.1 ferry company and always customers' first choice"
(2)Making Good Time
Website www.stenaline.com/

Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands and Scandinavia. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB, Stena Metall AB and Stena Sessan AB.

Contents

[edit] History

Stena Line was founded by Sten Allan Olsson when he acquired Skagenlinjen between Sweden and Denmark in 1962.

In 1972, Stena Line introduced, as one of the very first ferry operators in Europe, a computer based reservation system for the travel business area. In 1978 also the freight business area started to operate a computer based reservation system.

The first freight-only route started between Gothenburg in Sweden and Kiel in Germany. The ship was M/S Stena Transporter.

In the 1980s Stena Line acquired two Scandinavian ferry operators and one Dutch operation.

Stena Line bought SMZ Crown Line Holland in 1989 and incorporates the Hoek van Holland - Harwich route as a Stena Line route for North Sea.

Stena Line doubled in size in 1990 with the acquisition of Sealink British Ferries, which was formerly known as Sealink until its purchase by Sea Containers Ltd in 1984. This became Sealink Stena Line, then Stena Sealink Line and finally Stena Line (UK), which operates all of Stena's ferry services between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

In 1996 Stena Line introduced its 20,000 tonne HSS (High-speed Sea Service) vessels, which operate from Belfast-Stranraer, Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire and (till 8th January 2007) Hoek van Holland-Harwich. A smaller version of the HSS high speed craft operates between Göteborg in Sweden and Frederikshavn in Denmark.

Stena Explorer leaving Holyhead en route to Dún Laoghaire
Stena Explorer leaving Holyhead en route to Dún Laoghaire

In 2000 Stena Line purchased Scandlines AB, a Swedish ferry operator. In 2003 Stena Line announced a £70 million redevelopment of its Belfast and Scottish terminals.

[edit] Hoek van Holland - Harwich

Since 1996 Stena Line, in conjunction with 'one' Railways in the United Kingdom and Nederlandse Spoorwegen, the Netherlands Railways, operated the integrated Dutchflyer service (named Go-London in the Netherlands), a rail/sea link between London and Amsterdam.

In June 2006 Stena Line announced the termination of the high-speed service with the catamaran ferry Stena Discovery per 8 January 2007. It had been carrying the majority of the passenger traffic on the Hoek van Holland–Harwich route. This service was halted due to the excessive cost and competition from the budget airlines[1]. The ferry consumed 180,000 litres of high grade fuel daily whilst doing its four crossings at speeds of up to 45 knots, about 75 kilometres per hour.

To replace the Stena Discovery Stena Line announced a 100 million Euro investment in the Hoek van Holland–Harwich route. The two existing Ro-Pax vessels, the Stena Britannica and Stena Hollandica, are being lengthened and converted at the Lloyd Werft shipyard in Bremerhaven so that they are able to carry additional passengers. Both these ships, once lengthened, will be 240 metres long, the Stena Britannica being lengthend by 28 metres and the Stena Hollandica by 52 metres. During the lengthening program taking place from January to April 2007, the Stena Trader, currently on the Hoek van Holland–Killingholme route will cover for the missing ship. The Stena Britannica returned to service on the 12th March 2007 following her lengthening.

The Stena Discovery sailed the Hoek van Holland - Harwich route for the final time on 8th January 2007 and is now laid up in Belfast. It will at least temporarily replace the sister ferries that sail between Ireland and Great Britain while these are being serviced. It is said to be for sale for 50 million Euro.

[edit] Hoek van Holland - Killingholme

This route was inaugurated in October 2000 using two old freight RoRo ferries, the Stena Searider, built in 1969, and the Stena Seatrader, built in 1973. The success of this route has encouraged a further 200 million Euro investment in two new, replacement, ferries for this service. The first vessel, the Stena Trader, commenced operating on September 5, 2006 and the second vessel, the Stena Traveller is expected to be delivered in July 2007

[edit] Routes and ships

Stena Scandinavica in Kiel harbour.
Stena Scandinavica in Kiel harbour.
Stena Voyager showing her full power as she speeds up at the mouth of Loch Ryan
Stena Voyager showing her full power as she speeds up at the mouth of Loch Ryan
Stena Caledonia entering Belfast Lough from Stranraer. Pictured from Stena Voyager (HSS)
Stena Caledonia entering Belfast Lough from Stranraer. Pictured from Stena Voyager (HSS)
Stena Caledonia firing up its engines at the Stena Line terminal in Belfast Lough
Stena Caledonia firing up its engines at the Stena Line terminal in Belfast Lough
Hoek van Holland, Stena Discovery, ferry to Harwich
Hoek van Holland, Stena Discovery, ferry to Harwich
Stena Germanica in Göteborg
Stena Germanica in Göteborg

[edit] Great Britain - Ireland

[edit] Netherlands - Great Britain

[edit] Sweden - Denmark

[edit] Sweden - Germany


[edit] Norway - Denmark

[edit] Sweden - Poland

[edit] Former Ships

  • Stena Discovery (built 1997) withdrawn 8th January 2007. Now laid up at Belfast
  • Stena Adventurer (built 1977) - Now Express Aphrodite with Hellenic Seaways.
  • Stena Antrim (built 1981) - Now Ibn Batouta with Limadet Ferry.
  • Stena Atlantica (built 1966) - Scrapped in 2003 after burnout.
  • Stena Britannica (built 1967) - Scrapped in 2001.
  • Stena Britannica (built 1978) - Now Finnforest with Finnlines.
  • Stena Britannica (built 1981) - Currently operates as Stena Saga.
  • Stena Britannica (built 2000) - Now Finnfellow with Finnlines.
  • Stena Cambria (built 1980) - Now Isla de Botafoc with Balearia.
  • Stena Carrier (built 1978) - Now Global Carrier with P&O Ferries.
  • Stena Challenger (I) (built 1991) - Now Leif Ericsson with Marine Atlantic.
  • Stena Danica (II) (built 1969) - Sold to BC Ferries in 1974 and renamed Queen of the North. Ran aground and sank in 2006.
  • Stena Danica (III) (built 1974) - Scrapped in 2005.
  • Stena Fantasia (built 1980) - Now Wawel with Polferries.
  • Stena Felicity (built 1980) - Now Scandinavia with Polferries.
  • Stena Galloway (built 1980) - Now Le Rif with IMTC.
  • Stena Grecia (built 1978) - Now Atlantic Freighter with Marine Atlantic.
  • Stena Invicta (built 1985) - Now Color Viking with Color Line.
  • Stena Jutlandica (built 1973) - Now EuroFerrys Atlantica with EuroFerrys.
  • Stena Jutlandica (built 1983) - Now Pride of Telemark with Kystlink.
  • Stena Sea Lynx (built 1993) - Now Ocean Flower with Dae-A-Gosok.
  • Stena Lynx II (built 1994) - Now Jaume I with Balearia.
  • Stena Nordic (built 1969) - Now Palau with D&P Cruises.
  • Stena Nordica (built 1973) - Now Marko Polo with Jadrolinja.
  • Stena Nordica (built 1974) - Scrapped in 2005.
  • Stena Nordica (built 1975) - Now Al Mansour with COMANAV.
  • Stena Nordica (built 1979) - Now Fantaasia with COMANAV.
  • Stena Normandica (built 1974) - Now Moby Vincent with Moby Lines.
  • Stena Normandy (built 1982) - Now Normandy with Irish Ferries.
  • Stena Olympica (built 1972) - Now Scotia Prince with COMANAV.
  • Stena Parisien (built 1984) - Now SeaFrance Manet with SeaFrance.
  • Stena Pegasus (built 1996) - Now Tallink Autoexpress 4 with Tallink.
  • Stena Saga (built 1981) - Currently operates as Stena Europe.
  • Stena Saandinavica (built 1973) - Currently laid up (operated for Hellenic Mediterranean Lines).
  • Stena Scandinavica (built 1974) - Now Cesme with Marmara Lines.
  • Stena Searider (built 1969) - Currently operates as Stena Searider.
  • Stena Searider (built 1973) - Currently operates as Stena Scanrail.
  • Stena Shipper (built 1978) - Now Chong Ming Dao with the Chinese Government.
  • Stena Traveller (built 1992) - Now Lisco Patria with DFDS Lisco.
  • Thomas Wehr (built 1977) - Now Anglian Way with Ferryways.
  • Viking Victory (built 1964) - Now Media V with Ionian Sky Ferry.

[edit] Sponsorship

Amongst numerous sponsorship deals, Stena Line sponsor an amateur football league on Anglesey, the Anglesey League. due to its connections with the port of Holyhead. The company also sponsors Stranraer football club.

[edit] See also

P&O Stena Line

[edit] External links

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