Due to the closure of borders across Europe and a number of travel restrictions in place between countries, Tallink Grupp will start operating its vessel Star temporarily between Estonia and Germany from Thursday, 19 March 2020 to ensure transportation of goods between Estonia and western Europe, the company says in a press release. According to current plans the vessel will start to operate between Paldiski and Sassnitz. The transportation service has been requested by the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communication.
Star will depart for its first trip to Germany from Tallinn Old City Harbour at 18.00 on Thursday, 19 March 2020. After the first trip, Star will arrive at Paldiski Harbour and all future departures and arrivals will be at the Paldiski Harbour.
The exact timetable for the planned Paldiski-Sassnitz route will be determined imminently, but according to initial plans Star will depart from Paldiski to Sassnitz every other day at 20.00 local time and from Sassnitz every other day at 19.00 local time. The journey time between Paldiski and Sassnitz is approximately 20 hours.
The vessel’s cargo capacity is 100 lorries and 10 passenger vehicles. Passengers without vehicles will not be allowed on board. Food and medical supplies transport will be prioritised during the booking process. Accommodation for all people on board will be provided in cabins.
AS Tallink Grupp is one of the leading providers of passenger transport and cargo transport services in the northern part of the Baltic Sea region. The company owns 14 vessels and operates seven ferry routes under the brand names of Tallink and Silja Line. AS Tallink Grupp employs over 7,400 people in Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Russia and Germany. In 2019, Tallink Grupp provided services to 9.8 million travellers and transported approximately 380,000 freight units of goods. The shares of Tallink Grupp are listed on the Tallinn Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Helsinki Stock Exchange.