The announced ferry services from Rügen to Sweden and Russia are not assured, according to research by NDR. As the broadcaster reported on 11 November 2026, the owner of the ship shown on the project’s websites said it would not be used on the advertised routes. The operator of Mukran Port had also said there had been no discussions with the company.
The Berlin-based Hanse Line Shipping GmbH is promoting the revival of the Königslinie between Sassnitz and Trelleborg. Another website promises a service to Pionerski in Russia’s Kaliningrad . The Swedish ferry “Drotten” appears on the websites. Its owner Rederi AB Gotland said, however, according to NDR, that the ship would continue operating between the Swedish mainland and the island of Gotland. Using it on the Königslinie or on a route to Russia had never been discussed.
The company describes the “Drotten” on its website as a reference vessel, or as a ship-engineering tender project. On 6 November, managing director Jürgen Desch had already told NDR that the company wanted to charter a similar ship. This does not establish that a ship is definitively available for the announced services.
Coordination with the German port of departure is also unresolved. Mukran Port said, according to NDR, that there had so far been no discussions whatsoever between the port and Hanse Line Shipping. The port operator had not been approached by the shipping company either. Desch, by contrast, confirmed to the broadcaster that talks had taken place with the port in Sassnitz. The Berliner Zeitung also reported on 9 November that Mukran was holding its own discussions with other partners.
The managing director initially described the venture to NDR as a project idea. According to the broadcaster, he did not answer questions about funding or potential partners in Russia. On 10 November, he said that the restoration of the Königslinie was being coordinated and that he would be in touch if there was progress.
For passengers and transport companies, the difference between an announced service and an assured ferry operation is significant: the published plans alone do not establish either that a ship is ready or that the proposed port operations have been coordinated. The port operator also said it was in principle working on the requirements for new services to southern Sweden. However, it was too early to provide reliable information about operators and timetables.
The Königslinie has a long history. Stena Line ended the traditional service between Sassnitz and Trelleborg in April 2020. It was then operated by FRS Baltic using a high-speed catamaran; that service ended in 2024. The return now being promoted is a separate matter: based on the information available, it remains an unconfirmed project.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).