Stena Line

From Free net encyclopedia

Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services around the UK and Scandinavia. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the "Stena Sphere", a grouping of Stena AB, Stena Metall AB and Stena Sessan AB.

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History

Stena Line was founded by Sten Allan Olsson when he acquired Skagenlinjen in 1962.

In the 1980s Stena Line acquired two Scandinavian ferry operators and one Dutch operation.

Stena Line doubled in size in 1990 with the acquisition of Sealink British Ferries, which was formerly known as Sealink until its purchase by Sea Containers Ltd in 1984. This became Sealink Stena Line, then Stena Sealink Line and finally Stena Line (UK), which operates all of Stena’s ferry services between the UK and (Northern) Ireland.

In 1996 Stena Line introduced its 20,000 tonne HSS vessels (High-speed Sea Service) which operate from Belfast-Stranraer, Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire and Hoek van Holland-Harwich.

In 2000 Stena Line purchased Scandlines AB, a Swedish ferry operator. In 2003 Stena Line announced a £70 million redevelopment of its Belfast and Scottish terminals.

Stena Line, in conjuction with 'one' Railway in the United Kingdom and Nederlandse Spoorwegen in the Netherlands, operates the integrated Dutchflyer service, a rail/sea link between London and Amsterdam.

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