Stena Line has today signed a historic agreement with the Swedish Transport Administration that ensures continued train-ferry traffic between the Nordic nation and Germany.
The agreement, the first of its kind, means that traffic on the Trelleborg–Rostock route can remain operating until 31 December 2031.
A press conference was held in Trelleborg, the southern Swedish port, where Elisabeth Lönne, chief commercial officer at Stena Line, and the Swedish Transport Administration's director general, Roberto Maiorana, announced the agreement.
Elisabeth Lönne said, “We are very pleased that our mission on the Trelleborg–Rostock connection now has the conditions to continue. We take our role in the transport system in general and the vital train connection to the continent that our ferries provide in particular with pride and great seriousness.
Roberto Maiorana added, “I am happy and proud that we have got this agreement in place. This has been a priority work on our part, and we are now securing train ferry traffic between Sweden and Germany in the coming years.
He added that train ferries have declined sharply in the last 20 years due to weak economic profitability. Since the Öresund Bridge opened, the majority of freight train transport to and from the continent has gone over Öresund rather than by ferry. But the ferries are needed, which is why the state, via the Swedish Transport Administration, is now stepping in and ensuring continued traffic.
Stena Line has been operating the Trelleborg-Rostock route with two train ferries, M/S Skåne (photo above) and M/S Mecklenburg Vorpommern, since 1998. This is currently the country's only regular train ferry line and one of quite a few train ferries globally.
Germany is Sweden's largest trading partner, and the train ferries enable transport that cannot go via the Öresund due to weight and width restrictions on Danish and German tracks. Since the Öresund Bridge is the only fixed rail connection to the south, the train ferries also serve as a strategic backup solution in the event of long-term disruptions.
Sweden strengthens transportation and defense capability.
In a deteriorating security situation, transport infrastructure plays a crucial role. The secure train-ferry traffic with Stena Line's ferries enables continued military mobility for both the armed forces and NATO and ensures that Sweden can provide and receive host-country support.
With the train ferry service, we can maintain NATO's basic requirement for a robust transport system for national resilience. The transport system must function in everyday life, crisis, and war—both for domestic traffic and for transport to and from Sweden, added Roberto Maiorana.
For many years, the line has been an important part of exports and imports between one of our most important trading partners, Germany, and the ability to transport rail freight plays a crucial role there, concluded Elisabeth Lönne of the Swedish ferry company.
