Stena Line company background

Stena Line's fleet matches the combination of passengers and freight which are transported on our routes. Our fleet consists of RoPax and cargo vessels and we have around 35 ships in traffic in our network.

Stena Line is an international company with business and employees in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.

With over 5 100 employees, Stena Line is one of the largest ferry companies in the world and throughout our business regions, all employees are being brought together by our vision: “Connecting Europe for a Sustainable Future”.

At Stena Line, care is crucial to our business and is an important part of our corporate culture. Everything we do shows that we care and this is emphasized in our core values: “We deliver efficiency and sustainability through care – care for our customers, care for resources, care for each other.”

Through Stena Line’s history, our commitment, knowledge and desire to always deliver a high quality service has taken us far. Each year, over 7 million customers choose to travel with us. It is the responsibility of us all to ensure that we provide them not only with a safe journey but also a positive experience which they will remember.

There are many factors including fuel prices , increased competition of airlines and fluctuating currency that affect today’s ferry industry. 

However, in spite of these and with renewed interest in the value of ferry travel and its greener travelling credentials, Stena Line has continued to enjoy positive growth, with confidence in future levels of passenger, car and freight business shown by its current high investment programme. 

An expanding and superior route network which serves the major traffic flows in Northern Europe positions Stena Line as a market leader in its operational markets.

A greater variety of onboard services and the development of package and recreational trips have brought larger volumes and new customer groups to Stena Line.

Stena Line has a route-based organisation and the head office is located in Gothenburg.

We are organised in eight geographical Business Regions: Denmark, Norway, Germany, Baltic Sea North, Baltic Sea South, North Sea, Irish Sea North and Irish Sea South.

Total revenue in 2016 was 12 500 MSEK. Revenue comes from three areas – Travel, Onboard Sales and Services, Freight and Ports.

1962 Sten A. Olsson acquires Skagenline.

1982 Stena Line merges with Sessanline. Acquisition of Lion Ferry and the Varberg-Grenaa route.

1980s Stena Line improves the quality of its onshore and onboard services and supplements its transport activities with travel services such as hotel accommodation, conferences and bus travel.

1898 Stena Line acquires the Dutch company SMZ, followed by Sealink British Ferries of the UK in 1990. Stena Line doubles in size as a result.

1993 Stena Line introduces the first small High-Speed ferry on the Irish Sea named Sea Lynx 1.

1996 Stena Rederi develops the Stena High speed Sea Service (HSS) vessels, based on the catamaran concept. Several designs are patented and the World’s Largest Fast Ferry HSS Stena Explorer starts service on the Irish Sea.

2000 Stena Line acquires the Swedish shipping company Scandlines AB, extending its route network and securing its presence in southern Sweden.

2002 Stena Line opens new freight routes between the Hook of Holland and Killingholme and Rotterdam to Harwich and celebrates the company’s 40th anniversary.

2004 Acquisition of the Fleetwood-Larne route on the Irish Sea and three vessels from P&O.

2007 Stena Line withdraws its Stena HSS fastcraft from the Harwich-Hook of Holland route.

2007 Stena Line announces the construction of two new Superferries for its Harwich-Hook of Holland route.

2008 Stena Line opens a new £37m port in the Belfast.

2009 Stena Line adds the Stena Navigator to its Stranraer-Belfast route.

2010 Stena Line commences construction of a £200m Scottish port in Loch Ryan, Dumfries and Galloway.

2010 Stena Line launches two new Superferries on the Harwich – Hook of Holland route.