Gothenburg-headquartered Stena Line acquires NLC Ferry Ab Oy/Wasaline and takes over the operations of the ferry route between Vaasa in Finland and Umeå in Sweden.
The only existing ferry connection between Vaasa and Umeå is jointly owned by the two cities through the 50/50-owned company Kvarken Link, which in turn owns NLC Ferry which operates under the brand name Wasaline.
Under the agreement signed on Nov. 4, Stena Line will acquire NLC Ferry and take over the operation of Wasaline.
The vessel Aurora Botnia, which sails the route, will continue to be owned by Kvarken Link, the company jointly owned by the two cities.
To remind, Wasaline operates the daily ferry service between Vaasa in Finland and Umeå in Sweden.
“It is with great joy and enthusiasm that we at Stena Line take on the responsibility for Wasaline and the route between two important regions and cities, Umeå and Vaasa,” said Niclas Mårtensson, chief executive officer of Stena Line.
The acquisition is subject to approval by the respective municipal councils of Umeå and Vaasa, expected to take place in November 2025. The transaction is also conditional to customary closing conditions such as authority approvals.
The closing is expected to take place in the beginning of the year 2026.
“With Wasaline, we not only gain a vessel equipped with the latest environmental technology and capable of sailing CO₂-neutral on a regular basis, but we also enhance our access to alternative fuels. In addition, we gain a strong intermodal transport link toward Gothenburg and Trelleborg, and onwards to the European continent,” added Niclas Mårtensson.
In the Baltic Sea, Stena Line currently operates ferry routes between Trelleborg–Rostock, Karlskrona–Gdynia, Ventspils–Travemünde, and Nynäshamn–Liepaja.
With the addition of Umeå–Vaasa, Stena Line will have its fifth Baltic Sea route. Stena Line also operates several ports in the region.
