Stena Line

Stena Line

File:Stena Line.PNG
Company type	Private
Industry	Transport
Founded	1962
Headquarters	Göteborg, Sweden
Key people	Gunnar Blomdahl (MD & COO)
Products	Ferries, port services, passenger transportation, freight transportation, holidays, business travel
Revenue	9,5 billion SEK (2006)
Number of employees	5,700 (2006)
Parent	Stena AB
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.

History

Stena Line was founded by Sten Allan Olsson when he acquired Skagenlinjen between Sweden and 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 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 incorporated 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 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 also ordered two smaller 900-passengers HSS vessels to operate between Göteborg in Sweden and Frederikshavn in Denmark. Only one of these smaller fastcraft have been finished, the other has been scrapped due to shipyard bankrupsy after being finished for only 30%.

File:Stenna HSS leaving Holyhead.jpg

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.

Routes and Ships

Stena Scandinavica in Kiel harbour.

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Stena Voyager showing her full power as she speeds up at the mouth of Loch Ryan

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Stena Caledonia entering Belfast Lough from Stranraer. Pictured from Stena Voyager (HSS)

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Stena Caledonia firing up its engines at the Stena Line terminal in Belfast Lough

Hoek van Holland, Stena Discovery, ferry to Harwich

Stena Germanica in Göteborg

Great Britain - Ireland

• Stranraer - Belfast - Stena Voyager and Stena Caledonia
• Fleetwood - Larne - Stena Leader, Stena Seafarer, Stena Pioneer
• Fishguard - Rosslare - Stena Europe, Stena Lynx III (Express)
• Holyhead - Dún Laoghaire - Stena Explorer
• Holyhead - Dublin Port - Stena Adventurer, Sea Seatrader

Netherlands - Great Britain

• Hoek van Holland - Harwich - Stena Britannica, Stena Hollandica
• Hoek van Holland - Killingholme - Stena Trader, Stena Traveller, Stena Searider
• Rotterdam - Harwich - Stena Partner, Stena Transfer, Stena Transporter

Sweden - Denmark

• Göteborg - Fredrikshavn - Stena Jutlandica, Stena Danica, Stena Carisma, Stena Scanrail
• Varberg - Grenaa - Stena Nautica
• Helsingborg - Helsingör - (Scandlines AB) - Tycho Brahe, Aurora af Helsingborg, Hamlet,

Sweden - Germany

• Göteborg - Kiel - Stena Germanica, - Stena Scandinavica
• Göteborg - Travemünde - Stena Carrier, - Stena Freighter
• Trelleborg - Sassnitz - (Scandlines AB), - Trelleborg, Skåne, Sassnitz
• Trelleborg - Rostock - (Scandlines AB), - Mecklenburg Vorpommern
• Trelleborg - Travemünde - (Scandlines AB), - Götaland,

Norway - Denmark

• Oslo - Fredrikshavn - Stena Saga

Denmark - Germany

• Rødby - Puttgarten (Scandlines AB) - Prins Richard, Prinsesse Benedikte, Schleswig Holstein, Deutschland
• Gedser - Rostock (Scandlines AB) - Kronprins Frederik, Prins Joachim,

Sweden - Poland

• Karlskrona - Gdynia - Stena Baltica, Stena Nordica, Finnarrow

Denmark - Denmark

• Böjden - Fynshav (Scandlines AB)
• Spodsbjerg - Tårs (Scandlines AB)

Former Ships

See new page Stena Line's ship history.

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.

See also

P&O Stena Line

External links

• Stena Line - Corporate site
• Stena Line Reservations - UK online ticket reservations and home pages
• Stena Line Reservations - Swedish online ticket reservations and home pages