On April 8 Stena Line announced plans to permanently close the ferry route between Trelleborg and Sassnitz. The Company and the German Works Council have now agreed and the route will be closed permanently. In total the closure and the reorganisation of the company will affect 130 German working positions, the company said in its release.
"With a heavy heart we have now made the decision to close the ferry route between Trelleborg and Sassnitz, one of the oldest ferry lines in Europe. Above all, it is sad for the employees who are affected, but also for the people on Rügen, where the traditional "Kings Line" meant a lot, "says Niclas Mårtensson, CEO of Stena Line.
The ferry F/S Sassnitz, that was earlier operating the route, is currently laid up in the Port of Uddevalla, Sweden. The vessel will be handed over to Stena RoRo and either be sold or chartered.
“The situation in the past few weeks has put a lot of strain on all sides. The longstanding difficult economic situation due to the lack of freight traffic combined with the loss of a large number of passenger bookings as part of the corona pandemic left us with no other choice in order to secure our business in the long term. So it is all the more important for us to look ahead and work to make Stena Line come out of the crisis more effectively, ”says Ron Gerlach, Trade Director and Managing Director Stena Line Germany.
Stena Line continues to operate two RoPax ferry routes between Sweden and Germany. Trelleborg - Rostock with the two vessel Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Skåne operates 40 departures per week. Gothenburg-Kiel with the two vessels Stena Scandinavica and Stena Germanica operates 14 departures per week.
Stena Line is one of Europe's leading ferry companies with 38 vessels and 19 routes in Northern Europe. Stena Line is an important part of the European logistics network and develops new intermodal freight solutions by combining transport by rail, road and sea. Stena Line also plays an important role for tourism in Europe with its extensive passenger operations. The company is family-owned, was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Gothenburg. Stena Line is part of the Stena AB Group, which has about 16 000 employees and an annual turnover of around 37 billion SEK. More information on www.stenaline.com
Stena Line is one of Europe's leading ferry companies with 38 vessels and 19 routes in Northern Europe. Stena Line is an important part of the European logistics network and develops new intermodal freight solutions by combining transport by rail, road and sea. Stena Line also plays an important role for tourism in Europe with its extensive passenger operations. The company is family-owned, was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Gothenburg. Stena Line is part of the Stena AB Group, which has about 16 000 employees and an annual turnover of around 37 billion SEK.