Stena Line has decided to close the ferry route between Halmstad in Sweden and Grenå in Denmark. The vessel Stena Nautica will serve the route until 30th April.
The reason for the decision is that we have had significant challenges in achieving profitability on the route for a considerable time. By concentrating our investments on routes with clear demand, we can support both business transport and passenger travel more effectively, while simultaneously strengthening the long-term robustness of our route network. It is not an easy decision, but it is necessary to secure our business for the future and continue to create a strong network of ferry connections as an important part of Sweden's and Europe's infrastructure, says Niclas Mårtensson, CEO of Stena Line.
The main reasons for the closure of the Halmstad–Grenå connection are strong competition from fixed bridge connections to and within Denmark, a strained cost situation, and a challenging market situation due to an uncertain global situation and a weak economic climate.
Stena Line has operated the Halmstad – Grenå route since 2020 with one vessel, Stena Nautica. The route was moved from Varberg due to new plans for the port in Varberg. The company's board has now decided to discontinue the ferry route and to end an agreement with Hallands Hamnar and Grenå port regarding the cessation of their cooperation. According to current plans, the Halmstad – Grenå ferry route will cease operations on 30 April 2026.
The Halmstad–Grenaa route has been a vital part of Stena Line's network and we have for some time fought hard and tried various measures to turn the development around. However, without sufficient customer numbers, it has not succeeded and we have now chosen to make this difficult and regrettable decision. We would like to thank our partners in the municipality, region and business community, on both the Swedish and Danish sides, for the good and valuable collaboration during the time we have operated traffic between Halmstad and Grenaa, comments Christina Bromander, Trade Director for Stena Line's Denmark Lines.
– Our ambition is that as many as possible of the affected staff will be offered further employment within Stena Line. Our customers who are affected by the closure will be offered a good alternative on the route between Fredrikshamn and Gothenburg, she adds.
Stena Line's Swedish ferry network continues to comprise six ferry routes and 12 vessels: Gothenburg – Frederikshavn, Gothenburg – Kiel, Trelleborg – Rostock, Karlskrona – Gdynia, Nynäshamn – Ventspils, and as of February 2026, Umeå – Vaasa through the recently acquired Wasaline.
