Swedish ferry company Stena Line has reached an agreement with the German Works Council to permanently close the ferry route between Trelleborg and Sassnitz due to the lower freight traffic caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The move will affect 130 German workers.
“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,” Niclas Mårtensson, CEO of Stena Line, commented.
“Above all, it is sad for the employees who are affected, but also for the people on Rügen.”
Stena Line suspended the operation on the abovementioned route between Trelleborg and Sassnitz in March 2020. In April, the company announced plans for the permanent closure, including check-ins areas and bordership in Sassnitz.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions in Europe, Stena Line has experienced a large decline in travel bookings and freight volumes. As a result of the significant reduction in revenue, the company had to implement cost-cutting measures.
“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,” Ron Gerlach, Trade Director and Managing Director Stena Line Germany, said.
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, according to the company.
Stena Line continues to operate two RoPax ferry routes between Sweden and Germany.
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