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New deal to keep train ferry rolling to 2031

[ June 15, 2026   //   Chris Lewis ]

Stena Line has signed an agreement with the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) to secure the continued operation of rail ferry services between Sweden and Germany until 31 December 2031.

Trafikverket director-general Roberto Maiorana said that rail ferries have declined significantly over the past 20 years, due to their weak commercial performance and developments such as the Öresund Bridge now used by most freight trains between Scandinavia and continental Europe. “However, the ferries remain necessary, which is why the Swedish state, through the Swedish Transport Administration, is now stepping in to secure continued operations,” said Maiorana.

The ferries can handle trains that are barred from the Öresund route due to weight and width restrictions and, as the bridge is the only fixed railway connection to continental Europe, the they are a strategic backup solution in the event of prolonged disruptions.

Stena Line has operated the Trelleborg–Rostock route with the two rail ferries M/S Skåne and M/S Mecklenburg-Vorpommern since 1998 and is today Sweden’s only regular rail ferry service and one of only a limited number of rail ferry operations worldwide. Britain closed its Dover-Dunkerque ferry to rail traffic following the opening of the Channel Tunnel and today one of the few regular train ferries is

Stena Line’s rail ferries are also a vital link for the Swedish Armed Forces and NATO.

Tags: Stena