Scandlines reports, for the first time, decreasing volumes on their nine services in the Baltic area. A combination of higher bunker prices and the financial downturn in general lies behind the fall in volumes in all categories. In 2008, Scandlines transported 17.3 million passengers (down by 3 per cent), 3.6 million private cars (down by 3.4 per cent), 1.1 million lorries and trailers (down by 1.6 per cent), 84,200 railway wagons (down by 1.5 per cent) and the number of transported busses went down by 8.6 per cent to 68,700 units. Despite the general fall in volumes, Scandlines reports increasing volumes on the new service Rostock-Hangö. Scandlines has already taken several measures to reduce the capacity by closing the freight service from Klaipeda to Aabenraa and Aarhus, and also by adjusting the capacity on the Gedser-Rostock service and the Rostock-Ventspils service.