Despite the rainy and cold weather, the summer of 2017 was excellent for Scandlines thanks to a steady ferry service and an increasing growth in the number of transported vehicles. There were no cancellations due to technical issues on the company’s two ferry routes. Only very few departures were delayed due to force majeure, and the majority of these were less than five minutes.
Compared to last year’s high season, Scandlines realised more crossings on both the operated routes this summer. On the route Puttgarden-Rødby, Scandlines had more than 9,000 departures during the summer months. With more than 34,000 crossings per year, over four departures per hour and a non-stop ferry service 24/7 on 365 days each year, the so-called Beeline is the fastest and safest traffic route from the European continent to Scandinavia.
In the harbours, the staff disposes of only 15 minutes to handle the embarking and disembarking of the ferries. On the Rostock to Gedser route 2017, the experienced personnel on board the ferries and in the harbours handled over 4,000 vehicles on the busiest summer days.
Two new hybrid ferries
Apart from looking back on a summer where schedules were kept and the customers were happy, the company looks back on a summer where its two new hybrid ferries, Berlin and Copenhagen, contributed to a reduction of emissions in the Baltic Sea. The new ferries, which are the largest hybrid ferries in the world, were put into service on the route Rostock-Gedser in 2016. Due to their innovative hybrid propulsion system, the fuel consumption can be reduced by 2/3 per trip per car, compared to conventional ferries.
The new hybrid ferries are not only more eco-friendly and more efficient in terms of energy; since the beginning of 2017 their size had led to a double-digit growth rate.
The <em>Berlin</em> and the <em>Copenhagen</em> are logistic giants, offering space for 1,300 passengers, 460 cars or 96 lorries. The service on the route is safe and reliable – also in the high season. More crossings, higher capacities and improved logistics: The ferries are, one year after being put into service, a perfect team and operate the route more than 20 times per day.
All in all, Scandlines’ ferries transported almost one million vehicles and more than three million passengers during the summer months. This is a tremendous logistic task which can only be carried out by a perfect team of staff members on board the ferries and in the harbours. Their highest goal is to ensure that the schedules are kept and that the customers are happy, also in the high season.
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