Finnlines strengthened its Finland–Germany freight service in the spring to meet increased demand for capacity and frequency from customers. By adjusting routes and adding a third ro-ro vessel to the Rostock service, Finnlines can offer more departures from Rostock and at the same time increase capacity significantly. The route change enables Finnlines to provide its customers one additional weekly departure and, in addition, a direct connection to Helsinki.
At present, there are two weekly departures from both Helsinki and Hanko to Rostock. The new schedule increases the frequency of departures between Rostock and Finland from three to four per week. Simultaneously, the Helsinki–Travemünde–Aarhus line has shifted its Germany port of call to Rostock.
“This change strengthens Finnlines’ position in the Baltic Sea. We have increased the number of departures from Rostock and now offer four weekly departures to two main ports in Finland. This will also bolster Rostock’s position as a key port in the Southern Baltic Sea,” says Torkel Saarnio, Finnlines’ Line Manager. “Our work continues as we develop our services to meet our customers’ needs. Together with our customers, we are exploring possibilities to strengthen connections to ports in western Finland, such as Turku and Uusikaupunki. If the market develops as we hope, we will deploy additional tonnage when the time is right.”
“With shortage of drivers and high road diesel costs, the intermodal business is growing. The new fleet plan will not only meet the market needs but also reinforce our position as a green shipping operator, as CO2 emissions per unit will decrease significantly. Trailer volumes are increasing, and the growth in steel, paper, and car shipments forecasts a bright future. Sustainable values and increasing costs are boosting the business towards even greater success,” continues Saarnio.
Currently, Finnlines’ vessels call the port of Rostock six times a week. One Breeze-class vessel sails between Hanko, which is the southernmost port in Finland, and Rostock, two operate on the route which connects Helsinki, Rostock, Aarhus and Travemünde. The Breeze-class vessels can carry any type of cargo. The space onboard, a total of 4,192 lane metres, can be filled efficiently as cars can be loaded on hoistable decks and trailers below them.