Moss–Horten Ferry
Encyclopedia
The Moss–Horten Ferry is an automobile ferry
on Norwegian National Highway 19 that connects the counties of Østfold
and Vestfold
at the quays of Moss
and Horten
. The 10.5 kilometres (6.5 mi) crossing of Oslofjord
is performed with three double-ended ferries operated by Bastø Fosen
, making the crossing in 30 minutes, with departures twice an hour. In 2008 the line had a daily ridership of 3720 people and 4086 vehicles. It is the most trafficked car ferry line in Norway.
as the east quay. In a letter dated 1712 King Frederick IV
asked the governor of Borre
to build a larger ferry able to hold 16 horses and 50 men. With the issue of the ferry privilege of 1752 it was required that the ferry hold six horses with riders, plus ferrymen. In 1784, decisions on the ticket prices were set at 40 shillings in summer and 60 in winter for a ferryman to row a boat with twelve men across. In 1857 the route was taken over by the authorities, and the eastern quay moved to Melløsbryggen in Moss. The opening of Østfoldbanen
in 1879 and Vestfoldbanen
in 1881 stimulated a more stable operation.
In 1884 Consul Richard Peterson started using the steamship Axel to cross the fjord, and a year later Bastø entered service, while Horten was bought as a reserve. In 1900 the company bought Bastø II. The concession was taken over by AS Alpha in 1910, who also took over the ships Bastø and Bastø II. AS Alpha was founded in Moss in 1892 to conduct steamship transport from Moss to Kristiania
(Oslo). The first car carried across was in 1907 and belonged to Sam Eyde
; it took half an hour to load it. After World War I cars were regularly transported across the fjord.
The next ferry, also named Bastø, was delivered in 1934 with a capacity of 400 passengers and 18 cars. It soon became too small, setting a new record of 210 cars in one day in 1937. From 1934 to 1936 the annual number of cars rose from 6,605 to 10,143. To get more capacity another Bastø II was delivered in 1939 from Moss Værft og Dokk, capable of holding 600 passengers and 34 cars. This ferry was the first roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) ferry on the route, with car access from a specially built quay. On 9 April 1940 the ferry continued its ordinary traffic in the stream of German warships, which were coming into the fjord to occupy Norway. During World War II six of the companies seven ships were taken over by the German Forces.
None of the companies ships were sunk during the war, and in 1949 Bastø was built as a sister ship to Bastø II. Traffic increased steadily and in 1956 the next ship, named Bastø I was delivered with a capacity of 600 passengers and 55 cars. From 1964 onwards, the route was serviced by four ferries in the summer and three during winter, with the ships Bastø I (1956), Bastø II (1961), Bastø III (1949) and Bastø IV (1964). That year 228,648 cars and 620,000 passengers were transported.
Because of increased traffic and higher crew costs, the development went in the direction of larger ferries; Bastø V was delivered in 1973 with a capacity of 500 passengers and 120 cars. It was on the Moss–Horten line during summer, and on international routes the rest of the year. In 1978 it was supplemented with 1978 Bastø I that took 700 passengers and 190 cars.
AS Alpha was sold to Kosmos in 1984, where it became a division named Bastøfergen. In 1989 it was sold to Gokstad AS, the private company of the retiring Chief Executive Officer Bjørn Bettum. It received the ferry Vestfold in 1991, with a capacity of 700 passengers and 250 cars. It was in traffic along with Østfold (formerly Bastø II).
In 1996 the company Bastø Fosen, a subsidiary of Fosen Trafikklag
, received the concession
for the route. In a transitions period until the new ferries Bastø I and Bastø II were delivered in 1997 it used the rented and older ferries Einar Tambarskjelve and Holger Stjern. They were little suited for the route, and were in bad condition, receiving heavy protests from the users. After the new ferries were delivered, traffic increased from 600,000 cars in 1996 to 1.4 million cars in 2004. From 2001 Sogn was rented in as an extra ferry. In 2003 Bastø Fosen received an extension on their concession until 2015, and at the same time ordered the new Bastø III that was delivered in 2005.
requirements for maximum 6% gradient; the tunnel would be 325 metres (1,066.3 ft) below sea level. It would be fully financed as a toll road
. An alternative includes also building a railway
line parallel with the tunnel; this would make it 32 kilometres (19.9 mi) long to allow a gradient of 2.5%.
MS Bastø III was delivered in 2005 in conjunction with the second concession period. With a capacity of 212 cars and 540 passengers, she was built at Remontowa Yard in Gdansk
.
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...
on Norwegian National Highway 19 that connects the counties of Østfold
Østfold
is a county in southeastern Norway, bordering Akershus and southwestern Sweden , while Buskerud and Vestfold is on the other side of the bay. The seat of the county administration is Sarpsborg, and Fredrikstad is the largest city.Many manufacturing facilities are situated here. Moss and...
and Vestfold
Vestfold
is a county in Norway, bordering Buskerud and Telemark. The county administration is in Tønsberg.Vestfold is located west of the Oslofjord, as the name indicates. It includes many smaller, but well-known towns in Norway, such as Larvik, Sandefjord, Tønsberg and Horten. The river Numedalslågen runs...
at the quays of Moss
Moss, Norway
is a coastal city and a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Moss. The city of Moss was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
and Horten
Horten
is a town and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway—located along the Oslofjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Horten. The municipality also includes the villages of Borre, Åsgårdstrand, Skoppum, and Nykirke....
. The 10.5 kilometres (6.5 mi) crossing of Oslofjord
Oslofjord
The Oslofjord is a bay in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the Torbjørnskjær and Færder lighthouses and down to Langesund in the south to Oslo in the north....
is performed with three double-ended ferries operated by Bastø Fosen
Bastø Fosen
Bastø Fosen AS is a shipping company that operates the Moss–Horten Ferry, the most trafficked ferry route in Norway. The company, which operates the three ferries MF Bastø I, MF Bastø II and MF Bastø III, carried 1.3 million cars and 2.5 million passengers in 2006...
, making the crossing in 30 minutes, with departures twice an hour. In 2008 the line had a daily ridership of 3720 people and 4086 vehicles. It is the most trafficked car ferry line in Norway.
History
Ferry crossings in the outer Oslofjord have been documented back to 1582 when the notes of Bishop Jens Nilssøn mention it was common to travel over the fjord, with JeløyaJeløya
Jeløya is an island located in the municipality of Moss in Østfold County, Norway.-History:Jeløya was actually a peninsula in the Oslofjord, but was divided from the mainland in 1855 by the Moss canal a 20 meter broad canal that was built through the low isthmus. The Canal Bridge is the...
as the east quay. In a letter dated 1712 King Frederick IV
Frederick IV of Denmark
Frederick IV was the king of Denmark and Norway from 1699 until his death. Frederick was the son of King Christian V of Denmark and Norway and Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel .-Foreign affairs:...
asked the governor of Borre
Borre
Borre may refer to:* Borre, a former municipality and village in Norway* The Borre mound cemetery* Borre, a commune of the Nord département in France* Borre, Denmark, a village on the Danish island of Møn* Borre Golfbane, a golf course in Norway...
to build a larger ferry able to hold 16 horses and 50 men. With the issue of the ferry privilege of 1752 it was required that the ferry hold six horses with riders, plus ferrymen. In 1784, decisions on the ticket prices were set at 40 shillings in summer and 60 in winter for a ferryman to row a boat with twelve men across. In 1857 the route was taken over by the authorities, and the eastern quay moved to Melløsbryggen in Moss. The opening of Østfoldbanen
Østfoldbanen
The Østfold Line is a standard gauge railway line that runs between Oslo, Norway, and the Swedish border at Kornsjø. Running through Follo and Østfold, it has both a Western and Eastern Line between Ski and Sarpsborg. The line opened in 1879 as the Smaalenene Line .The line is , while the Eastern...
in 1879 and Vestfoldbanen
Vestfoldbanen
The Vestfold Line is a Norwegian railway line which runs from Drammen, through a number of towns in Vestfold and ending in the town of Skien in Telemark. At Skien, the line continues as the Bratsberg Line to Notodden...
in 1881 stimulated a more stable operation.
In 1884 Consul Richard Peterson started using the steamship Axel to cross the fjord, and a year later Bastø entered service, while Horten was bought as a reserve. In 1900 the company bought Bastø II. The concession was taken over by AS Alpha in 1910, who also took over the ships Bastø and Bastø II. AS Alpha was founded in Moss in 1892 to conduct steamship transport from Moss to Kristiania
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
(Oslo). The first car carried across was in 1907 and belonged to Sam Eyde
Sam Eyde
Samuel Eyde was a Norwegian engineer and industrialist, the founder of Norsk Hydro and Elkem.-Biography:Sam Eyde was the son of a shipowner, and studied engineering in Berlin where he graduated in 1891. He started his career in Hamburg, working with the railways where he planned new lines, bridges...
; it took half an hour to load it. After World War I cars were regularly transported across the fjord.
None of the companies ships were sunk during the war, and in 1949 Bastø was built as a sister ship to Bastø II. Traffic increased steadily and in 1956 the next ship, named Bastø I was delivered with a capacity of 600 passengers and 55 cars. From 1964 onwards, the route was serviced by four ferries in the summer and three during winter, with the ships Bastø I (1956), Bastø II (1961), Bastø III (1949) and Bastø IV (1964). That year 228,648 cars and 620,000 passengers were transported.
Because of increased traffic and higher crew costs, the development went in the direction of larger ferries; Bastø V was delivered in 1973 with a capacity of 500 passengers and 120 cars. It was on the Moss–Horten line during summer, and on international routes the rest of the year. In 1978 it was supplemented with 1978 Bastø I that took 700 passengers and 190 cars.
AS Alpha was sold to Kosmos in 1984, where it became a division named Bastøfergen. In 1989 it was sold to Gokstad AS, the private company of the retiring Chief Executive Officer Bjørn Bettum. It received the ferry Vestfold in 1991, with a capacity of 700 passengers and 250 cars. It was in traffic along with Østfold (formerly Bastø II).
Fosen Trafikklag
Fosen Trafikklag is a company operating buses and ferries in Trøndelag and Østlandet in Norway. In total the company has approximately 750 vehicles and 16 ships, though numerous of them operate by subsidiaries.The company is owned by Torghatten ASA-History:...
, received the concession
Concession (contract)
A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...
for the route. In a transitions period until the new ferries Bastø I and Bastø II were delivered in 1997 it used the rented and older ferries Einar Tambarskjelve and Holger Stjern. They were little suited for the route, and were in bad condition, receiving heavy protests from the users. After the new ferries were delivered, traffic increased from 600,000 cars in 1996 to 1.4 million cars in 2004. From 2001 Sogn was rented in as an extra ferry. In 2003 Bastø Fosen received an extension on their concession until 2015, and at the same time ordered the new Bastø III that was delivered in 2005.
Tunnel
Since the 1960s, plans for a dry connection over or under the fjord to remove the ferry have been launched. In 2008 the Public Roads Administration published a report showing that a four-lane tunnel would cost while a bridge would cost 15 billion. A tunnel would need to be 17 kilometres (10.6 mi) to meet European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
requirements for maximum 6% gradient; the tunnel would be 325 metres (1,066.3 ft) below sea level. It would be fully financed as a toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
. An alternative includes also building a railway
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
line parallel with the tunnel; this would make it 32 kilometres (19.9 mi) long to allow a gradient of 2.5%.
Fleet
MS Bastø I and MS Bastø II are identical ships delivered in 1997 for the takeover of the route. They have a capacity of 200 cars and 550 passengers and were built at Fosen Mekaniske Verksted.MS Bastø III was delivered in 2005 in conjunction with the second concession period. With a capacity of 212 cars and 540 passengers, she was built at Remontowa Yard in Gdansk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
.