- Fred. Olsen Express transported 1,010,000 tonnes of freight between January and October 2026, up 2% compared with the same period in 2025.
- Freight volumes reached 1.45 million lane metres, an increase of 4% year-on-year.
- Compared with 2023, tonnage has grown by 54%, while lane metres have increased by 37%.
- The company operated approximately 19,000 sailings across its fast ferry and RoRo fleet, broadly unchanged year-on-year. Dedicated RoRo vessels completed 1,273 sailings, up 6%.
- Food accounted for approximately 40% of cargo volumes, with water and other beverages representing around 30%. More than 3,000 units of dangerous goods were also transported.
- The dedicated freight fleet comprises BENTAYGA CARGO, BAHÍA CARGO and BREÑAS CARGO, complementing freight capacity aboard the passenger fleet.
Boluda Shipping has signed an agreement to acquire Samskip, bringing together two family-owned transport and logistics businesses. The acquisition will expand connections between Northern Europe, the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary Islands and West Africa.
Completion is expected on 1 January 2027.
Samskip’s shipping activities primarily focus on containers, although it also operates two RoRo vessels, SAMSKIP KVITBJORN and SAMSKIP KVITNOS, both retained under lease agreements following their sale.
The agreement follows CLdN’s earlier acquisition of Samskip’s quay-to-quay and door-to-door freight business between continental Europe, the UK and Ireland. Those services joined CLdN’s network on 29 June 2026. The transaction included container routes from Rotterdam to British and Irish ports, together with lease agreements for more than 5,000 multimodal cargo units.
The Nova Scotia–Maine ferry service recorded its second-highest passenger total in five years.
THE CAT carried 44,032 passengers and 18,124 vehicles between Yarmouth and Bar Harbor during the 2026 season, which ended on 14 October. Previous totals were:
- 2025: 39,745 passengers; 16,233 vehicles
- 2024: 49,299 passengers; 19,935 vehicles
- 2023: 38,399 passengers; 15,348 vehicles
- 2022: 36,003 passengers; 14,972 vehicles
Americans accounted for approximately 85% of passengers and Canadians 15%. Growth in American passengers drove most of the increase.
Grimaldi Group has signed a contract with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai) for a tenth RoPax ferry, representing an investment of €160 million. The vessel will be assigned to Trasmed.
Emanuele Grimaldi confirmed the order to Ferry Shipping News. It joins nine vessels previously ordered for Grimaldi Euromed, Minoan Lines and Finnlines, following announcements made at October’s Euromed Convention.
The group has also signed letters of intent covering two further newbuilding projects:
- China Merchants: five next-generation Pure Car and Truck Carrier and multipurpose vessels, each with a capacity of 10,000 CEU.
- Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI): five newbuildings, each with a capacity of 11,000 CEU.
According to Grimaldi, these agreements move the projects from the prototype design stage into a six-month engineering phase. Deliveries are scheduled for 2030 and 2031.
Viking Line and TT-Line will deploy HUCKLEBERRY FINN on their new joint service between Vuosaari (Helsinki) and Muuga, outside Tallinn, with operations scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2027.
The 1A ice-class RoPax vessel, jointly owned in equal shares by the two operators, has capacity for 2,240 lane metres of freight and 400 passengers.
As previously reported by FSN, the cooperation marks TT-Line’s entry into the Finland–Estonia ferry market. The new service will carry freight and passengers, complementing existing connections across the Gulf of Finland.
The cooperation also includes TT-Line offering its freight customers capacity on VIKING XPRS between Helsinki and Tallinn, complementing the new Vuosaari–Muuga operation.
The Charente-Maritime department has ordered a new passenger and freight ferry for the public service linking Fouras and Île d’Aix. Built by the Gléhen shipyard in Finistère, the vessel is scheduled to replace PIERRE LOTI in summer 2028.
The new ferry will accommodate up to 400 passengers, around 20 bicycles and three vehicles, including two 19-tonne trucks. At almost 40 metres long and just over 9 metres wide, it will be the largest vessel ever built by Gléhen.
Featuring a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, the ferry is designed to meet the route’s draught restrictions, tidal conditions and navigational requirements.
- The Port of Gothenburg handled 405,000 RoRo units during January–September 2026, up 2% compared with the same period in 2025. Both imports and exports contributed to the increase.
- Passenger traffic remained broadly stable at 1.14 million, while cruise calls fell by 27%, from 55 to 40.
- New cars: handling increased by 14% to 197,000 vehicles, with imports rising by 29% and exports by 10%.
- Containers: total throughput remained virtually unchanged at 698,000 TEU. Laden container volumes increased by 2%, while empty volumes fell by 11%.
- Rail: container movements rose by 2% to 403,000 TEU, putting rail traffic on course for another record year.
- Energy products: volumes increased by 10% to 16.5 million tonnes.
- Dry bulk and breakbulk: handling rose by 1% to 266,000 tonnes.
Read the Port of Gothenburg’s update here: https://www.portofgothenburg.com/about/articles/5-insights-into-cargo-volumes/
The Port of Gothenburg has awarded NCC the contract to design and deliver Stena Line’s new terminal in Arendal, advancing the planned relocation of its ferry operations from central Gothenburg.
The project will bring Stena Line’s Denmark and Germany services together in the outer harbour, alongside existing port and logistics infrastructure. It will also release the current terminal sites for urban development.
The preliminary timetable:
- 2027: terminal design and cost estimates, with Sweco acting as design consultant.
- Early 2028: construction could begin, subject to the environmental permit becoming legally binding and costs remaining within available funding.
- 2031: the new terminal is expected to enter service.
Works include upgrading terminal areas and utilities, adapting and extending berths, foundations for new linkspans, and installing electrical, fibre and security systems. Stena Line says the terminal can be designed from the outset to accommodate its new vessels on order.
GNV is discontinuing its Civitavecchia–Termini Imerese service this week and reinforcing its Naples–Termini Imerese connection.
The MSC Group ferry operator confirmed to Ferry Shipping News that the route’s economic conditions would require commercial terms that discussions with haulage customers had shown to be unsustainable for the market.
GNV will instead strengthen the Naples route, offering customers a daily service in both directions.
GNV SPIRIT will be redeployed, with departures scheduled from Naples at 13:30, Monday to Saturday, and from Termini Imerese at 01:30, Tuesday to Sunday.
The revised deployment extends the vessel’s existing Friday and Saturday operating pattern across the week.
Photo Jacopo Tofani
FRS Helgoline’s high-speed catamaran HALUNDER JET carried approximately 174,000 passengers during the 2025 season, which began on 27 March and ended on 2 November.
Managing Director Tim Kunstmann reported stable demand throughout the season, with strong performance from Hamburg, Cuxhaven and Brunsbüttel.
Brunsbüttel, introduced as a departure port in early 2024, became further established, supported by convenient access and free parking beside the landing stage.
Passengers also made use of intermediate journeys between Hamburg, Brunsbüttel and Cuxhaven.
Special events and offers included the fifth FRS Helgoline Music Cruise, extended stays on Helgoland, family promotions and guided seal tours on neighbouring Düne.
The crossing from Hamburg takes approximately 3½ hours, combining a voyage along the Lower Elbe with the North Sea passage to Helgoland.
