Ferries in Öresund


No one knows when the traffic between Helsingborg-Helsingør started. Most likely people traveled over the smallest part of the sound thousands of year ago. But 1892 the Danish and Swedish railway companies started a ferry line.


The Swedish railway company forms the company SweFerry 1991 and collects all their lines (Öresundsbolaget, Malmö - Copenhagen, LB-ferries, and the Saga/Trave line to Germany) under this name. At the same time Scandlines forms as a joint venture company with DSB with the line between Helsinborg-Helsingør. And 1997 they change the name to Scandlines on all the ferry lines owned by the Swedish, Danish and German railway companies. 1999 Stena line buy the Swedish part of the company and they tries to buy the Danish and German part as well. Scandlines ferry lines in Öresund consists of the old ferry lines owned by the railway companies with ferry lines in Öresund (except the lines closed down because of the bridge)

Öresundsbolaget



The ferry Öresund from 1905
 Danska Damskeskipssellskapet Øresund, DSØ, started the shipping business 1900. Together with Svenska Red AB Öresund DSÖ they started the Malmö-Copenhagen line 1905.
Both Danska Damskeskipssellskapet Öresund and Svenska Red AB Öresund were subsidiary companies to the Danish and Swedish railway companies repectively.

Svenska Red AB Öresund starts a new line between Limhamn-Dragör with car ferries 1960.
Ferries between Limhamn-Dragør Ofelia and Scania (in Scandlines colors after 1997)

In the middle of the 60's the introduced hydrofoil boats between Malmö/Skeppsbron-Copenhagen/Havnegade. Convinient to arrive in the middle of Nyhavn. 2 minutes after disembarking from the boat you cold have your first beer in Copenhagen.
Svalan
Springaren
Svalan from 1965 and the new Springaren. After the introduction of the fast boats the big ferries disappeared.


1977 the company splits into 1 Swedish part "SUNDFART" and 1 Danish part "DSÖ". Sundfart runs the Limhamn-Dragør line and DSÖ is running the boats between Malmö and Copenhagen. Öresundsbolaget becomes a part of Scandinavian Ferry Lines, SFL 1980 and 1984 SFL is selling their part of the Malmö - Copenhagen line.

1997 the company becomes a part of the new Scandlines and in the autumn 1999 the Limhamn-Dragør line closes down because of the new bridge.
30th of April 2002 they took the last ferry between Malmö and Copenhagen out of traffic.

DSB

The ferry Kärnan arrives to Helsingør

The ferry Helsingør arrives to Helsingør
 When going to Helsingør by foot we liked to go with the DSB ferries or Sundsbussarna. They arrived close to Helsingør city centre on the south side of the port.

SFL arrived on the nort side close to Kronborg. They had a free bus to the city but from the DSB terminal it was 3 minutes walk. DSB arrived to the central station because they carried railwagons.
DSB became a part of Scandlines 1997 and they built a new terminal in Helsingør and a new terminal in Helsingborg. So now the old DSB and SFL use the same terminal.

LB- ferries / SFL

Betula back in the days
 The company LB (Linje Buss) was founded 1954 as a susidiary company to Red AB Svea in Stockholm as the LB ferries. 1955 the started the line Helsingborg-Helsingør with S/S BETULA.
1969 they change name to Scandinavian Ferry Line, SFL and this is the name for all Sveas ferry lines in Skåne. 1983 Swedcarrier (Swedish railway company) buyes their partner Johnson lines part of SFL.
Betula built 1968 with Kronborg in the back.
Betula after renovation 1985

New ferries between Helsingborg and Helsingør
Sundsbussarna


Sundsbussen Jeppe leaving Helsingør
1956 the A/S Moltzau shipping company decided to start a ferry line between Helsingborg - Helsingør. 2 ferries were ordered for delivering 1957. The ferries was delayed and they were towed to the ship yard Burmeister & Wain in Copenhagen where they where completed.
The premiere for the line was set to the 27th of March 1958. On the 27th there was a storm so it had to wait until the day after and after that the line has been running except for some winter days with heavy ice. 1993 there was a new terminal opening for Sundsbussarna in Helsingør.
Ferry terminal when I use to go by the ferries
Postcard with SFL, Sundsbuss and a DSB ferry


HH- ferries

1996 Sundbroen/Mercandia started an ferry line between Helsingborg - Helsingør. 1997 it was sold to a Swedish/ Danish company called HH-Ferries. They run the line with 2 ferries under Danish flagg.

SL- ferries

The ferry traffic to Landskrona from Denmark starts 9th of July 1956 with the 56 year old steam ship Uranienborg. LB ferries bought the Danish company "Skandinavisk Linietrafik" 1961. The "Skandinavisk Linietrafik" had operated the line between Landskrona and Copenhagen since the 50's. The line started because of the exchange restrictions in Denmark after the 2nd world war. The popular movie "Gone with the wind" could not be shown in Denmark and thus many people from Denmark took the ferry to Landskrona to see the movie. The connection between the movie and the opening of the ferry line resulted in that all the ferries got name ending with "Scarlett"

30th of September SFL closed down the ferry line between Landskrona and Copenhagen. Scarlett Line took over the line from SFL 1980


Dana Scarlett in Landskrona