Hurtigruten

Hurtigruten ("Express Route", formally The coastal route Bergen-Kirkenes) is a Norwegian public coastal route transporting passengers that travel locally, regionally and between the ports of call, and also cargo between ports north of Tromsø.[1]

MS Trollfjord, in service since 2010, in Molde

Hurtigruten provides daily, year-round and consistent traffic between Bergen and Kirkenes with 34 ports of call on northbound and 33 ports of call on southbound sailings. The Ministry of Transport and Communications in Norway has set minimum capacity requirements of 320 passengers, 120 berths and cargo for 150 Euro-pallets. The current agreement with the privately held company Hurtigruten AS entered into force on 1 January 2012 and expired on 31 December 2019, with an optional 1-year extension. From 2021 the two companies Hurtigruten AS and Havila Kystruten AS will operate the route.[2]

History

Vesteraalen near Bodø on her first round-trip in 1893.

Hurtigruten was established in 1893 by government contract to improve communications along Norway's long, jagged coastline. Vesteraalen began the first round-trip journey from Trondheim on 2 July 1893 bound for Hammerfest, with calls at Rørvik, Brønnøy, Sandnessjøen, Bodø, Svolvær, Lødingen, Harstad, Tromsø and Skjervøy. The ship arrived at Svolvær on Monday 3 July at 8pm after 35½ hours and at Hammerfest on Wednesday 5 July after 67 hours. She was commanded by founder of the route Richard With. At that time this was the fastest route between northern and southern Norway, and this resulted in the route being named Hurtigruten (express route).[3] As of 2008, the Trondheim–Svolvær trip took 33 hours and the Trondheim–Hammerfest trip took 41 hours 15 min.

Before Hurtigruten opened, only Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab was willing to make the trip through the then poorly-charted waters; the voyage was especially difficult during the long, dark winters. Hurtigruten was a substantial breakthrough for communities along its path. Mail from central Norway to Hammerfest, which used to take three weeks in summer and five months in winter, could now be delivered in seven days.[3]

The 1982-built Narvik in Svolvær. The ship was sold in 2007.

Encouraged by Vesteraalens' early success, several other shipping companies obtained a concession to operate the route, extended to run between Bergen in the southwest and Kirkenes in the far northeast. A fleet of 11 ships visits each of the 34 ports daily, both northbound and southbound.

Until the 1940s most ports north of Trondheim could not be reached by road from Oslo, so the sea was the only means of access. Beginning in the 1960s, the role of Hurtigruten changed, in part because of the construction of a local airport network and road improvements. Operating subsidies were gradually phased out, and the operators put more emphasis on tourism. New, bigger and more luxurious ships were introduced in the 1980s, with attention given to hot tubs, bars, restaurants and other comforts. However, Hurtigruten still serves important passenger and cargo needs, and operates 365 days a year. The last two independent shipping companies, Ofotens og Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab (OVDS) and Troms Fylkes Dampskibsselskap (TFDS), merged on 1 March 2006 as the Hurtigruten Group, a year later becoming Hurtigruten ASA. In 2015 Hurtigruten was delisted from the Oslo stock exchange after the company was acquired by the private equity group TDR Capital.[4][5] In addition to the voyages in Norway, the company operates expedition cruises to Greenland, Canada, South America, Iceland, Svalbard and Antarctica.

New contracts

The Ministry of Transport and Communications in Norway announced in 2017 that the Hurtigruten contract was split into three contracts. The contracts were put up for bid and in the end, two were granted to Hurtigruten AS and one to Havila Kystruten AS, with each operating seven and four ships respectively. The two companies will alternate departure days for the entire route from Bergen to Kirkenes.[6]

Havila Kystruten AS is building four new vessels to serve the route, while Hurtigruten AS will be refitting seven of its vessels to meet the stricter emissions requirements.[6]

The four new vessels from Havila will run on LNG and battery power. LNG will cut CO₂ emissions by 25 per cent, and the battery power will yield additional savings.[7] The vessels will be named Havila Capella, Havila Castor, Havila Polaris and Havila Pollux. All four vessels are under construction at Tersan shipyard in Turkey.[8]

Existing vessels from Hurtigruten will be modernized and renovated in order to meet the new requirements.[6] MS Eirik Raude, MS Trollfjord and MS Otto Sverdrup are all getting modernized and renovated with a scandinavian interior style similar to the expedition vessels MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridtjof Nansen.

The ships will be fitted with filters and LNG compatible engines in order to reduce emissions by 25%. The ships will also get hybrid motors, and battery packs.

Current fleet[9]

MS Nordlys at Hammerfest in June 2005, displaying the TFDS funnel colours.

MS Richard With between Svolvær and Kabelvåg

MS Eirik Raude[10]

MS Trollfjord[11] (Will be renamed MS Maud)

MS Nordlys[12]

MS Otto Sverdrup[13]

MS Vesterålen[14]

MS Kong Harald[15]

MS Nordnorge[16]

MS Polarlys[17]

MS Spitsbergen[18]

MS Lofoten[19]

MS Nordkapp[20]

MS Richard With[21]

MS Nordstjernen in Bergen

Places visited on coastal route

In order, northbound:

• Bergen
• Florø
• Måløy
• Torvik
• Ålesund (62°28′32″N 6°9′10″E)
• Geiranger (summer only)
• Urke, Møre og Romsdal (September & October only)
• Molde (62°44′05″N 7°9′25″E)
• Kristiansund
• Trondheim (63°26′33″N 10°24′25″E)
• Rørvik (64°51′39″N 11°14′23″E)
• Brønnøysund (65°28′33″N 12°12′39″E)
• Sandnessjøen (66°01′27″N 12°38′17″E)
• Nesna (66°12′02″N 13°00′29″E)
• Ørnes (66°52′8″N 13°42′10″E)
• Bodø (67°17′24″N 14°23′45″E)
• Stamsund (68°7′14″N 13°50′25″E)
• Svolvær (68°13′51″N 14°33′59″E)
• Stokmarknes (68°34′16″N 14°54′40″E)
• Sortland (68°41′56″N 15°25′13″E)
• Risøyhamn (68°58′4″N 15°38′28″E)
• Harstad (68°47′57″N 16°32′54″E)
• Finnsnes (69°13′44″N 17°58′25″E)
• Tromsø (69°38′54″N 18°57′45″E)
• Skjervøy (70°2′6″N 20°58′57″E)
• Øksfjord (70°14′14″N 22°20′55″E)
• Hammerfest (70°39′53″N 23°40′51″E)
• Havøysund (70°59′42″N 24°41′14″E)
• Honningsvåg (70°58′51″N 25°58′7″E)
• Kjøllefjord (70°56′58″N 27°19′54″E)
• Mehamn
• Berlevåg (70°51′26″N 29°6′54″E)
• Båtsfjord (70°37′46″N 29°43′21″E)
• Vardø (70°22′27″N 31°6′16″E)
• Vadsø (70°4′14″N 29°44′10″E)
• Kirkenes (69°43′43″N 30°4′19″E)

Live television broadcast

See also: Slow television § 2011: Hurtigruten – minutt for minutt

As part of its slow television series, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation transmitted non-stop the Hurtigruten ship MS Nordnorge's 134-hour voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes, which started on June 16, 2011.[22]

Post-World War II accidents and incidents

Memorial in Bodø commemorating the incident on board Erling Jarl in 1958. Total height: 2,3 meters. Sculptor: Istvan Lisztes.

Before World War II, a number of ships perished, usually because they ran aground in bad visibility.

Most of the Hurtigruten fleet was sunk during World War II.

In September 1954 SS Nordstjernen ran aground in Raftsundet at night. The ship started taking on water and eventually sank. Of the 157 passengers and 46 crew members on board, five died.[23][24]

On January 8, 1958, a fire broke out on board MS Erling Jarl while the vessel was docked at Bodø. Fourteen people died of smoke inhalation. Today a memorial to the incident stands at Bodø.[25][26]

On October 21, 1962 MS Sanct Svithun ran onto a reef in the maritime area Folda in Nord-Trøndelag because of a major navigational error after leaving Trondheim. Of 89 persons on board (passengers, crew and two postal officers) 41 died.[27]

In 2011 MS Nordlys suffered an engine room fire, leading to two deaths among the crew.[28]

References

Notes

1. Communications, Ministry of Transport and (2016-12-16). "The coastal route Bergen-Kirkenes". Government.no. Retrieved 2019-10-14.
2. Samferdselsdepartementet (2016-12-15). "Kystruten Bergen-Kirkenes". Regjeringen.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2019-10-14.
3. "Skipene som bandt kysten sammen". Nasjonalbiblioteket (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2020-04-13.
4. "tdrcapital.com". tdrcapital.com. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
5. Syed, Sara; Porter, Kiel. "Cruise Operator Hurtigruten Said to Attract Private Equity Firms". Bloomberg. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
6. "Hurtigruten gets new coastal rival". www.newsinenglish.no. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
7. "Hybrid cruiseliners cut coastal emissions". www.theexplorer.no. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
8. "Tersan Shipyard to build two ships for Havila Kystruten". CruiseandFerry.net. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
9. "Current Route Plan". www.hurtigruten.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2020-04-13.
10. "MS Eirik Raude". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
11. "MS Trollfjord". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
12. "MS Nordlys". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
13. "MS Otto Sverdrup". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
14. "MS Vesterålen". www.hurtigruten.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2020-04-13.
15. "MS Kong Harald". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
16. "MS Nordnorge". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
17. "MS Polarlys". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
18. "MS Spitsbergen". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
19. "MS Lofoten". www.hurtigruten.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2020-04-13.
20. "MS Nordkapp". www.hurtigruten.com. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
21. "MS Richard With". www.hurtigruten.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2020-04-13.
22. Hofseth, Anders (16 June 2011). "Hurtigruten: 5 day TV marathon in the midnight sun". NRK.
23. Rydheim, Per (28 November 2010). "D/S Nordstjernen". Vol.no. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
24. "Ulykker og forlis" [Accidents and shipwrecks]. Hurtigrutemuseet (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
25. "History Erling Jarl (1949)". The Virtual Museum of Hurtigruten. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
26. Elling Finnanger Snøfugl. "Klart for minnesmerke". Avisa nordland. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
27. "Historien Sanct Svithun" [History of Sanct Svithun]. Hurtigrutemuseet (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
28. Torgeir P. Krokfjord; Barstein, Geir; Walderhaug, Fridgeir (15 September 2011). "To bekreftet omkommet etter brann på hurtigruta" [Two confirmed dead after fire on Hurtigruten]. Dagbladet (in Norwegian).

Bibliography

• Bakka, Dag (1980). Skipene som bandt kysten sammen: Hurtigruten, 1893 - 1980 [The Ships Travelling Along the Coast: Hurtigruten 1893-1980]. Bergen: gens Tidende og Eides Boktrykkeri. OCLC 834930062.
• Bakka, Dag; Kolltveit, Bård; Mo, Sverre (2003). Hurtigruten: sjøveien mot nord [Hurtigruten: by sea to the north] (in Norwegian) (rev. ed.). Bergen: Seagull. ISBN 8291258171.
• Bakka, Dag (2011). Livslinje og eventyrreise: historien om Hurtigruten [Lifeline and Adventure Travel: A History of Hurtigruten] (in Norwegian). Bergen: Bodoni. ISBN 9788271286255.
• Beer, Gerhard (2012). The World's Greatest Cruises: explore, dream, discover. München: Monaco Books. ISBN 9783899448856.
• Bent, Mike (1987). Coastal Express: the ferry to the top of the world. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0851774466.
• Bryant, John (2012). Hurtigruten 120: The Complete Story. Ramsey, Isle of Man: Ferry Publications. ISBN 9781906608682.
• Bryant, John (2013). Hurtigruten 120. Ramsey, Isle of Man: Ferry Publications. ISBN 9781906608637.
• Eliassen, Per; Rasch-Tellefsen, Bjørn (2000). Hurtigruten: Velkommen om bord / Welcome on board / Willkommen an Bord (in Norwegian, English, and German). Harstad, Norway: To-Foto. ISBN 8299550106.
• Küchler, Kai-Uwe (2009). Faszinierende Hurtigruten [Fascinating Hurtigruten] (in German). Würzburg: Verlagshaus Würzburg - Flechsig. ISBN 9783803520043.
• Küchler, Kai-Uwe; Küchler, Manfred (2011). Abenteuer Hurtigruten: Mit dem Postschiff ins Reich der Mitternachtssonne [Hurtigruten Adventure: by mail ship to the realm of the midnight sun] (in German). Würzburg, Germany: Verlag-Haus Würzburg. ISBN 9783800346011.
• Küchler, Kai-Uwe; Küchler, Manfred (2015). Hurtigruten: Mit dem Postschiff ins Licht der Mitternachtssonne [Hurtigruten: by mail ship into the light of the midnight sun] (in German). Würzburg, Germany: Stürtz. ISBN 9783800346196.
• Möbius, Michael; Ster, Annette (2016). Hurtigruten: die schönste Seereise der Welt [Hurtigruten: the most beautiful sea voyage in the world] (in German) (5th ed.). Ostfildern, Germany: DuMont Reiseverlag. ISBN 9783770173990.
• Mosler, Axel M.; Schröder, Ralf (2013). Traumreise Hurtigruten [Dream Trip Hurtigruten] (in German). München: Bruckmann. ISBN 9783765458798.
• Pollmann, Bernhard (2014). Hurtigruten: die schönste Seereise der Welt [Hurtigruten: the most beautiful sea voyage in the world] (in German). München: Kunth Verlag. ISBN 9783955040819.
• Römmelt, Bernd (2008). Bildschöne Hurtigruten [Beautiful Hurtigruten] (in German). München: Bruckmann. ISBN 9783765447839.
• Spitzenberger, Hans-Joachim; Mosler, Axel M. (2016). Hurtigruten - Zeit für das Beste Highlights - Geheimtipps - Wohlfühladressen [Hurtigruten - Time for the Best Highlights - Insider Tips - Wellbeing Addresses] (in German) (4th revised ed.). München: Bruckmann. ISBN 9783734308369.
• Schröder, Ralf (2011). Die Schiffe der Hurtigruten vom Postdampfer zum Erlebnisliner [The Ships of Hurtigruten from the mail steamers to the adventure liners] (in German). Bielefeld: Delius Klasing. ISBN 9783768833233.
• Schröder, Ralf (2016). Hurtigruten (in German) (2nd ed.). Bielefeld, Germany: Delius Klasing. ISBN 9783667105561.
• Stavseth, Redar (1963). Nordover med Hurtigruten: Historie og hverdagsbilder gjennom sytti år [Northward with Hurtigruten: History and everyday images through seventy years] (in Norwegian). Oslo: Grundt Tanum. OCLC 504478333.
• Stickeln, Lutz; Babovic, Toma (2009). Hurtigruten (in German). Hamburg: Ellert & Richter. ISBN 9783831903535.
• Storrusten, Erling (1994). Hurtigruten: the world's most beautiful sea voyage. Narvik: Ofotens og Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab. ISBN 8299315409.
• Weyer, Helfried (2002). Hurtigruten: mit dem Postschiff durch Norwegen [Hurtigruten: by mail ship through Norway] (in German) (4th ed.). Steinfurt: Tecklenborg-Verlag. ISBN 3924044473.

External links

Media related to Hurtigruten at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website
• Hurtigruten Norway: main website
• Hurtigruten: UK site
• Hurtigruten: US site
• Hurtigruten Ship News