RoRo Service Linking Germany and Russia to Be Suspended

Finnish RoRo and passenger services operator Finnlines has decided to remove its TransRussiaExpress (TRE) roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) service between Kiel, Germany and St. Petersburg in Russia.

As informed, the move comes as Finnlines has been facing “a constant deterioration on the Russian market.”

“Despite the investments implemented to maintain the competitiveness and sustainability of the service TransRussiaExpress, regretfully we are forced to suspend it until a reasonable improvement of the market conditions will occur,” the company said in a statement.

As from April 1, 2019, Finnlines will implement a new schedule, whereby the Biscay-North Sea service will include the Germany-Russia connections.

In 2015, Danish shipping and logistics company DFDS converted its freight ferry route between Kiel and St. Petersburg to a space charter route in cooperation with Finnlines.

As a result of the service suspension, DFDS’ space charter route will also be closed.

However, the Danish company intends to maintain a sales organisation in St. Petersburg as the Russian market will continue to be served by DFDS’ Baltic route network, linking Klaipeda in Lithuania with Kiel in Germany, and Paldiski in Estonia with Kapellskär in Sweden.

Due to the closure of the space charter route, up to fifteen staff members will be affected in St. Petersburg and Kiel, DFDS said.