| Danish: Molslinjen | |
| Type: | Aktieselskab |
| Foundation: | 1964 |
| Location: | Aarhus, Denmark |
| Key People: | Carsten Jensen, CEO |
| Services: | Passenger transportation, Freight transportation |
Danish: Molslinjen (previously Danish: Mols-Linien) is a Danish company that operates ferry services between Jutland and Zealand, and also services to Bornholm. In March 2017, the routes in the Kattegat were renamed to Molslinjen.
Molslinjen was formed by DFDS in 1964 sailings commenced on 18 May 1966.[1]
A downturn in traffic following the 1973 oil crisis led Molslinjen into a pooling agreement with rival Grenaa-Hundested Linien in 1979.[2]
In 1984 DFDS sold Molslinjen and Grenaa-Hundested Linien to J. Lauritzen A/S. The company was sold 4 years later to Danish investment company DIFKO.
In 1999 Molslinjen merged with Scandlines subsidiary Cat-Link.
Scandlines sold its holding to the Clipper Group in 2008.
In July 2011, Molslinjen announced it was to terminate the Kalundborg – Aarhus route and sell the two vessels operating the route.[3]
Molslinjen terminated the Aarhus – Kalundborg route on 15 September 2011. Thereafter the route was operated by Kattegatruten until October 2013 and then suspended.
In 2016 Molslinjen won a 10-year public tender to operate ferry services to Bornholm, and operations started in September 2018 under the name Bornholmslinjen.
In 2018, the ferry routes of Alslinjen, Langelandslinjen, Samsølinjen and Fanølinjen became part of Molslinjen with the acquisition of Danske Færger.[4] [5]
In January 2023, the Danish and Swedish competition regulators approved the sale of ForSea Ferries to Molslinjen for an undisclosed sum.[6]
Molslinjen
| Image | Name | Built | Enterered service | Gross Tonnage | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Mols | 1998 | 1999 | ||||
| Express 2 | 2013 | 2013 | ||||
| Express 3 | 2017 | 2017 | Sailed from Incat shipyards in Tasmania, April 2017[7] | |||
| Express 4 | 2018 | 2018 | Built by Austal in Western Australia.[8] Austal ships do not have the centre bow that characterises the previous solely Incat built fleet. |
Bornholms-linjen
| Image | Name | Built | Enterered service | Gross Tonnage | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Express 1 | 2009 | 2012 | ||||
| Hammershus | 2018 | 2018 | Operates on Rønne–Køge and Rønne–Sassnitz routes | |||
| Poul Anker | 1978 | 2016 | Operates on Rønne–Køge and Rønne–Sassnitz routes | |||
| Express 5 | 2022 | 2023 | Cost €83.7 million, Austal ship. Will carry 1,610 passengers and 450 cars.[9] |
Langelandslinjen
| Image | Name | Built | Enterered service | Gross Tonnage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M/F Langeland | 2012 | 2012 | 4.500 | Old livery | |
| M/F Lolland | 2012 | 2012 | 4.500 | Old livery | |
Fanølinjen
| Image | Name | Built | Enterered service | Gross Tonnage | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M/F Menja | 1998 | 1998 | 751 | runs on HVO Diesel[10] | ||
| M/F Fenja | 1998 | 1998 | 751 | runs on HVO Diesel.[11] | ||
| E/F Grotte | 2021 | 2022 | 925 | E-ferry[12] | ||
Samsølinjen
| Image | Name | Built | Enterered service | Gross Tonnage | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M/F Samsø | 2009 | 2014 | 4.630 | |||
| M/F Tyrfing[13] | 2025 | E-Ferry[14] | ||||
Alslinjen
| Image | Name | Built | Enterered service | Gross Tonnage | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M/F Fynshav | 1998 | 2015 | 3.380 | |||
| M/F Frigg Sydfyen | 1984 | 2015 | 1.676 | Only summertime | ||
| M/F Nerthus[15] | 2024 | E-Ferry[16] | ||||
Molslinjen operates various routes around Denmark and surrounding countries, under a multitude of brand names.