Fjord1 Nordvestlandske
Encyclopedia
Fjord1 Nordvestlandske is a Norwegian
transport
conglomerate, formed in 2001 by the merger of Møre og Romsdal Fylkesbåtar
and Fylkesbaatane i Sogn og Fjordane. The company itself is a holding company for its numerous subsidiaries. Company headquarters are located in Florø
; however, the headquarters of the important ferry
division are located in Molde
. The company has 75 ships, 394 buses and 147 trucks and transported 24 million passengers in 2005.
The company is one of the largest in the Norwegian
transport
sector. Its main assets are the two ferry companies MRF and Fylkesbaatane, which service the rugged and numerous fjords of Møre og Romsdal
and Sogn og Fjordane
. In addition, the company owns four local bus companies, including Fjord1 Buss Møre, Fjord1 Sogn Billag, Fjord1 Hallingdal Billag and Fjord1 Nordfjord-Ottadalen. It is also involved in numerous transport ventures within its two home counties, including a 66% ownership of the bus company Aukra Auto
, a 49% ownership of fast ferry company Kystekspressen
and a 49% of Fjord1 Partner
, that operates the Bergen Light Rail
.
The company is owned by the county administrations in Sogn og Fjordane
(59%) and Møre og Romsdal
(41%). This fact, and the fact that the company headquarters were located in Sogn og Fjordane
, has made the merger somewhat unpopular in Møre og Romsdal
. The choice of name, Fjord1, was also not well-accepted among the local population. These strains on public relations, amongst other things, resulted in talks intended to further the merger process breaking down during the winter and spring of 2004.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
conglomerate, formed in 2001 by the merger of Møre og Romsdal Fylkesbåtar
Møre og Romsdal Fylkesbåtar
Fjord1 MRF formerly called Møre og Romsdal Fylkesbåtar, short form MRF is a regional Norwegian transportation company, part of the Fjord1 Nordvestlandske group. The company headquarters are in Molde....
and Fylkesbaatane i Sogn og Fjordane. The company itself is a holding company for its numerous subsidiaries. Company headquarters are located in Florø
Florø
is a town and the administrative centre of Flora municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is also a former municipality that existed for just over 100 years. The town was founded on the Florelandet island between the Botnafjorden and Solheimsfjorden by royal decree in 1860. In...
; however, the headquarters of the important ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
division are located in Molde
Molde
is a city and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Romsdal region. The municipality is located on the Romsdal Peninsula, surrounding the Fannefjord and Moldefjord...
. The company has 75 ships, 394 buses and 147 trucks and transported 24 million passengers in 2005.
The company is one of the largest in the Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
sector. Its main assets are the two ferry companies MRF and Fylkesbaatane, which service the rugged and numerous fjords of Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
and Sogn og Fjordane
Sogn og Fjordane
is a county in Norway, bordering Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland. The county administration is in the town of Hermansverk in Leikanger municipality while the largest town is Førde....
. In addition, the company owns four local bus companies, including Fjord1 Buss Møre, Fjord1 Sogn Billag, Fjord1 Hallingdal Billag and Fjord1 Nordfjord-Ottadalen. It is also involved in numerous transport ventures within its two home counties, including a 66% ownership of the bus company Aukra Auto
Aukra Auto
Aukra Auto is a bus and truck operating company based in Aukra, Norway. The company has a monopoly on bus transport on the island Gossen and between it and Molde...
, a 49% ownership of fast ferry company Kystekspressen
Kystekspressen
Partsrederiet Kystekspressen ANS branded as Kystekspressen or the Coast Express is a shipping company that operates passenger ferry services between Trondheim and Kristiansund, Norway. Three ships are used on the route, that includes the branch lines Trondheim–Sula and Sistranda–Halten...
and a 49% of Fjord1 Partner
Fjord1 Partner
Fjord1 Partner AS is a joint venture between Fjord1 Nordvestlandske and Keolis that that holds the contract to operate the Bergen Light Rail from 2010 to 2017 in a public service obligation contract with Skyss...
, that operates the Bergen Light Rail
Bergen Light Rail
Bergen Light Rail is a light rail system in Bergen, Norway. The first stage of the project is a fifteen-station, stretch between the city center and Nesttun, which opened on 22 June 2010...
.
The company is owned by the county administrations in Sogn og Fjordane
Sogn og Fjordane
is a county in Norway, bordering Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland. The county administration is in the town of Hermansverk in Leikanger municipality while the largest town is Førde....
(59%) and Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
(41%). This fact, and the fact that the company headquarters were located in Sogn og Fjordane
Sogn og Fjordane
is a county in Norway, bordering Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland. The county administration is in the town of Hermansverk in Leikanger municipality while the largest town is Førde....
, has made the merger somewhat unpopular in Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
. The choice of name, Fjord1, was also not well-accepted among the local population. These strains on public relations, amongst other things, resulted in talks intended to further the merger process breaking down during the winter and spring of 2004.