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 9,5 billion SEK (2006)
Employees 5,700 (2006)
Website www.stenaline.com/

Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands and Poland. 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. Stena Line also owns the Swedish vessels of the otherwise German and Danish-owned Scandlines.

Contents

[edit] History

Stena Scandinavica in Kiel harbour.
Stena Scandinavica in Kiel harbour.

Stena Line was founded in, and is still operated from, Gothenburg, Sweden by Sten A. Olsson when he acquired Skagenlinjen between Gothenburg, Sweden and Fredrikshavn, Denmark in 1962.

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

The first freight-only route started between Gothenburg in Sweden and Kiel in Germany. The ship was the MS Stena Transporter.

During the 80s, Stena acquired three other ferry companies. In 1981, Sessan Line, Stena's biggest competitor on Sweden—Denmark routes, was acquired and incorporated into Stena Line.[1] This included Sessan's two large newbuilds, MS Kronprinsessan Victoria and MS Prinsessan Birgitta, which became the largest ships operated by Stena by that date. In 1983, Stena acquired Varberg-Grenå Linjen, and two years later also the right to that company's former name, Lion Ferry. Lion Ferry continued as a separate marketing company until 1997, when it was incorporated into Stena Line.[2] In 1989, Stena acquired yet another ferry company, SMZ (which at the time traded under the name Crown Line). SMZ's Hoek van Holland—Harwich route then became a part of Stena Line.[3]

Stena Line doubled in size in 1990 with the acquisition of Sealink British Ferries from Sea Containers Ltd. This first became Sealink Stena Line, then Stena Sealink Line and finally Stena Line (UK), which now operates all of Stena's ferry services between Great Britain and Ireland.

In 1996, Stena Line introduced its 20,000 tonne HSS (High-speed Sea Service) vessels, which operated from Belfast-Stranraer, Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire and Hoek van Holland-Harwich. In addition to the three 1500-passenger HSS vessels, Stena Line ordered two smaller 900-passengers HSS vessels to operate on the Gothenburg—Frederikshavn route. Due to the bankruptcy of the shipyard, only the first of these vessels was ever completed.

In 1998, Stena's operations from Dover and Newhaven were merged with P&O European Ferries to form P&O Stena Line, 40% of which was owned by Stena and 60% by P&O. In 2002, P&O acquired all of Stena's shares in the company, thus becoming the sole owner of P&O Stena Line, which soon changed its name to P&O Ferries.

In 2000, Stena Line purchased yet another Scandinavian ferry operator, Scandlines AB.

In November 2006, Stena ordered a pair of "super ferries" with a gross tonnage (GT) of 62,000 tons from Aker Yards Germany for delivery in 2010, with an option for two more ships of the same design.[4] The new ferries will be amongst the largest in the world,[5] and will be placed on Stena's North Sea route from Hoek van Holland to Harwich or Baltic Sea route from Gdynia to Karlskrona.[6] Building of these ships starts in April 2008.[citation needed]

The company also moved its Belfast Terminal from Albert Quay to the new VT4 during May 2008. This has reduced the length of the crossing to Stranraer by 10 minutes.

[edit] Routes and ships

Routes of Stena Line and Scandlines in northern Europe.
Routes of Stena Line and Scandlines in northern Europe.
Routes of Stena Line in western Europe.
Routes of Stena Line in western Europe.
See also the routes and ships of Scandlines

[edit] United Kingdom Domestic

[edit] Great Britain—Ireland

[edit] Netherlands—Great Britain

[edit] Sweden—Denmark

[edit] Sweden—Germany

[edit] Norway—Denmark

[edit] Sweden—Poland

[edit] Former Ships

Further information: Stena Line's ship history

[edit] References

  1. ^ (Swedish) Fakta om Fartyg: Sessan Linjen, retrieved 21. 9. 2007
  2. ^ (Swedish) Fakta om Fartyg: Lion Ferry, retrieved 21. 9. 2007
  3. ^ (Swedish) Fakta om Fartyg: Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland, retrieved 21. 7. 2007
  4. ^ Aker Yards press release 9. 11. 2006, retrieved 21. 9. 2007
  5. ^ Stena Line press release: Stena Line announces major investment in innovative ferries, retrieved 21. 9. 2007
  6. ^ Corporate

[edit] External links

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Current Ferry Operators of Scotland
See Also: Transport Scotland