The Stena Nautica ferry of Stena Line will ply on the crossing between Denmark and Sweden until 30 April 2026.

"The reason for this decision is that we have faced significant challenges in achieving profitability on the route over a long period of time," outlined Niclas Mårtensson, Stena Line's CEO. "[...] This has not been an easy decision, but it is necessary in order to future-proof our business and continue to build a strong network of ferry connections as an important part of Sweden and Europe's infrastructure."

His company also underscored in a press brief, "Strong competition from the fixed bridge connections to and within Denmark, a strained cost environment, and challenging market conditions due to global uncertainty and a weak economic climate are the main reasons why the Halmstad-Grenaa connection is now being discontinued."

Christina Bromander, Trade Director for Stena Line's Denmark routes, commented, "The Halmstad-Grenaa route has been an important part of Stena Line's network, and over a period of time we have worked hard and tried various measures to reverse the trend. However, without a sufficient customer base, this has not been possible, and we have therefore chosen to take this difficult and regrettable decision. We would like to thank our partners in municipalities, regions, and the business community, on both the Swedish and Danish sides, for the good and valuable cooperation during the years we have operated traffic between Halmstad and Grenaa."

She furthered, "Our ambition is to offer continued employment within Stena Line to as many affected employees as possible. Customers impacted by the closure will be offered a good alternative on the Frederikshavn-Gothenburg route."

In 2024, the Grenaa-Halmstad ferry crossing handled 32,230 ro-ro cargo units and served 97,659 passengers.

Photo: Stena Line