Hurtigruten - Company History

Company History

Hurtigruten traces its origins more than one hundred years back; it was established in 1893 by government contract to improve communications along Norway's long, jagged coastline. SS Vesteraalen commenced on the first round-trip journey from Trondheim on 2 July 1893 bound for Hammerfest, with calls at Rørvik, Brønnøy, Sandnessjøen, Bodø, Svolvær, Lødingen, Harstad, Tromsø and Skjervøy. The ship arrived Svolvær on Monday 3 July at 8pm (after 35½ hours) and reached its northbound destination of Hammerfest on Wednesday 5 July, completing the northbound leg between Trondheim and Hammerfest in a total of 67 hours. She was captained by Richard With, considered the founder of Hurtigruten. At present, 28 November 2012 the distance between Trondheim and Svolvær is covered in 33 hours and Trondheim - Hammerfest in 41 hours and 15 min.

Originally only one shipping company, Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab, was willing to take on the job of sailing the then poorly charted waters; the voyage was especially difficult during the long, dark winters. Hurtigruten was a substantial breakthrough for communities along its path. Mail from central Norway to Hammerfest which had taken three weeks in the summer and up to five months in winter could now be delivered in a mere seven days.

Encouraged by Vesteraalen's early success, several other shipping companies obtained the concession to operate on the route and the Hurtigruten service expanded to the current round trip between Bergen in the southwest, and Kirkenes in the far northeast. A fleet of 11 ships ensures that each of the 34 ports is visited twice daily; once by northbound and once by southbound ships.

Beginning in the 1980s, the role of Hurtigruten changed; operating subsidies were gradually phased out and the operators put more emphasis on tourism. New, bigger and more luxurious ships were introduced, with attention given to hot tubs, bars, restaurants and other comforts. However, Hurtigruten still serves important passenger and cargo needs, and operates 365 days a year. The last two independent shipping companies, Ofotens og Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab (OVDS) and Troms Fylkes Dampskibsselskap (TFDS), merged on 1 March 2006 as the Hurtigruten Group, a year later becoming Hurtigruten ASA. In addition to the coastal route, ferries, and high-speed regional express ships in Norway, the company operates cruises around Greenland, South America and Antarctica.

After Norway, the greatest number of passengers come from Germany, Britain, the Netherlands and other parts of Scandinavia.