Ro-Ro and passenger services operator Finnlines announced that it is suspending its service TransRussiaExpress, due to ‘a constant deterioration on the Russian market’ the company has been facing over the last few years.
TransRussiaExpress (TRE) offers weekly service between Lübeck in Germany and St.Petersburg, Bronka in Russia.
In an official statement, the company explained that this deterioration has come as a result of the political and economical situation which is ‘still dramatically affecting the commercial trade environment‘.
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,
…Finnlines said.
As a consequence, as from April 1st 2019, the company will implement a new schedule, whereby the Biscay – North Sea service will include the Germany – Russia connections within its rotation to support the trades.
The new schedule is to be published later today, 15 March.
As a result, DFDS’ space charter route will also be closed. In 2015, Danish ferry operator DFDS converted its freight ferry route between Kiel and St. Petersburg to a space charter route in cooperation with Finnlines. Unfortunately, the closure will affect up to 15 staff in total in St. Petersburg and Kiel, DFDS informed.
However, DFDS will 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,
…the company said.
