The Estonian terminal operator HHLA TK Estonia is trying to strengthen its position as a RoRo hub in the Baltic region. Namely, Finnish ferry company Eckerö Line recently started connecting the port of Muuga, where HHLA TK Estonia operates a multi-function terminal, with Vuosaari in Finland.
Twice a day, the RoPax ferry Finbo Cargo enters the port of Muuga, which is about 20 kilometres east of the Estonian capital, Tallinn. On the Finnish side, Vuosaari is served. The focus of the new ferry connection is on truck and trailer traffic, but passengers with cars will also be transported. The Finbo Cargo has a transport capacity of approximately 2,000 lane metres for trucks, trailers and passenger cars.
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Currently, Eckerö Line operates a ferry between the Estonian and Finnish capitals Tallinn and Helsinki. Due to the increasing flow of goods between the two countries, the shipping company has expanded its services with the new RoPax ferry connection between Muuga and Vousaari. This could unbundle freight and passenger traffic and relieve urban centres of truck traffic.
The new Eckerö Line ferry connection is the second RoRo service after Tallink to connect Muuga with Finland,with Vladimir Popov, CEO of HHLA TK Estonia, seeing even further potential:
Muuga continues to develop into a multimodal RoRo hub and is an important component of HHLA’s network strategy.” Truck traffic via Muuga to Belarus, Ukraine and Western Europe has excellent growth potential. Furthermore, the Rail Baltica railway connection from Estonia to the European rail network will have a positive impact on the development of trailer traffic
Taru Keronen, Managing Director of Eckerö Line, also expects great potential in the route and wants to be involved in its development. The cargo figures have been growing well in recent years, while more and more passengers are taking their cars when travelling to Estonia. The new solution added, aims to accelerate the shift to Vuosaari for heavy traffic and create a new alternative for cargo and car travel.
