Newcastle–Bergen–Stavanger ferry

The United Kingdom to Norway ferry service was a route connecting Newcastle in England, United Kingdom with Stavanger, Bergen, and Haugesund in Norway, Scandinavia. It existed for over 140 years until 2008, when it was last operated by DFDS Seaways. Between 2010 and 2015 the service has tried to be relaunched by various companies.

History

In the late part of the 1800s services operated between Manchester, Liverpool and around to Copenhagen. In 1890 a company called Bergen Line opened a new connection between UK and Norway.

In 1978 MS Winston Churchill started operating a twice-weekly sailing from Newcastle to Gothenburg, but by the time 1981 came the now primary route because Newcastle to Oslo; as operated by MS England. By the time 1994 arrives MS King of Scandinavia is purchased by the company Color Line, renamed MS Color Viking, and enters service on between Newcastle, Stavanger, Bergen and Haugesund. Before long the company sells the Norway to UK route with the vessel to Norwegian ferry operator Fjord Line.

Fjord Line decide to rename the vessel in 1998 to MS Jupiter, but elsewhere on the North Sea network two existing DFDS services are merged, the route between Harwich and Gothenburg, with that of Newcastle to Gothenburg. The combined new route now forms a singular passage, travelling directly from Gothenburg to Newcastle, via Kristiansand in Norway.

For a number of years Fjord Line continue to operate successfully on their Newcastle to Norway ferry route.

In September 2006 company DFDS look at acquisition and decide to purchase MS Fjord Norway from the Norwegian shipping company Fjord Line. This move allows the company to own two sister ships, MS Fjord Norway and MS King of Scandinavia. Their newest addition to the fleet is undergoes a refurbishment, name change before being re-deployed between Stavanger, Haugesund, Bergen and Newcastle under the new DFDS colors. Meanwhile, the company announces the closure of their Gothenburg to Kristiansand and Newcastle route on 1 November 2006, this allows their existing asset MS Princess of Scandinavia to be sold off, and also pushes the market towards their new operating route.

MS Princess of Norway is relieved in May 2007 of the Newcastle, Stavanger, Haugesund and Bergen service, to be taken over by MS Queen of Scandinavia. This allows DFDS to operate their vessel MS Princess of Norway with her sister MS King of Scandinavia ship on the Amsterdam to Newcastle service.

The service was operated by one passenger cruise ferry which would offer overnight cabin accommodation, automobiles and the movement of freight. The ferry operated all year round across the North Sea and was usually done so by an overnight sailing. In the Summer the service was mostly tailored to the tourist market, and the timetable tweaked to reflect extra sailings where possible.

Route Closure

However, on 1 September 2008 the company closed down their United Kingdom to Norway service, citing the route as a loss maker with no ambition for a route relaunch in the future. MS Queen of Scandinavia made her final sailing on 18 September 2008.[1]

The loss of service cost 350 persons their jobs, including 270 jobs on MS Queen of Scandinavia and a further 70 employees in both the UK, Denmark and Norway,[2] dealing an incredible blow to both economies on both sides of the North Sea, leading to an annual 10 million hit to the North East economy.[3]

During the years leading up to the routes closure the service, with the director of tourism for Bergen saying: "The British market has been the biggest for us for the last five or six years, with about 200,000 visitors every summer."

Campaign for reinstatement

Since the closure of the route several campaigns and backlashes launched to reinstate the loss of service.

Locals in the UK started a campaign and website in 2008 to highlight the demand, impact and need for the reinstatement of a ferry link, www.britain2norway.com; and upon the acclaimed start-up of Norwegian Seaways Ltd this was later recreated and superseded by a new site at www.StartaUKtoNorwayferry.com. The newer site featured an e-petition for those still affected by the loss of the route, and opportunities for public views to be stated. It also featured history, links, news and updates on efforts to reinstate the service.

Attempted Start-ups

Since the loss of service in 2008 several start-up companies have tried to relaunch the route, but these has mostly been the same companies re-branded. Initially a company formed called Norwegian Seaways to try and relaunch the service, which soon evolved into Norwegian Seaways 2 Ltd. Before time the two companies became dormant, and in 2014 a project formed from the same owners called Project Norse; which in 2015 evolved into British Scandinavian Ltd.

British Scandinavian

Today the company British Scandinavia still exists, along with all prior company registrations. Several investments from the public sector have been made into the start-up, but to date a route between the UK and Norway still does not exist.

In September 2015 it was reported that the company was still in a long process of negotiation, with the companies Chief Executive flying around Europe; notably Athens, Greece in various efforts to reinstate the service.[4]

gollark: Suuuuure they do.
gollark: They went into administration or something a few years back, but it's irrelevant.
gollark: Doesn't last very long.
gollark: My existing phone has a fried battery after two years.
gollark: Suuuuuuuuure.

References
  1. "Norwegian ferry link axed". BBC News article. 28 May 2008. Retrieved 28 May 2008.
  2. "Oil price hike claims Ferry jobs". BBC News article. 27 May 2008. Retrieved 27 May 2008.
  3. "Ferry axe 'will hit tourism cash'". BBC News article. 28 May 2008. Retrieved 28 May 2008.
  4. "British Scandinavian flies into Athens". Start a UK to Norway ferry. 1 September 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2008.
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