Rutelaget Askøy–Bergen
Encyclopedia
Rutelaget Askøy–Bergen AS or A–B was a ferry
and bus
operating company that provided services from Askøy
to Bergen
, Norway
. Founded in 1950, it operated a car ferry across the sound, and bus traffic on Askøy and to Bergen. The ferry route was discontinued in 1992 when the Askøy Bridge
opened. It also operated ferries between Bergen and Stavanger
and in Boknafjord
. In 1992 the subsidiary Fjord Line
was established, providing cruiseferry
services from Bergen and Egersund
to Hanstholm
in Denmark
. The two companies merged in 1995, and were subsequently bought by Bergen Nordhordland Rutelag
, after a bid from Color Line was found to be too low.
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...
and bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
operating company that provided services from Askøy
Askøy
Askøy is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Since the opening of the Askøy Bridge leading to the mainland in Bergen in 1992, the population has increased rapidly. Its population growth is as of 2008 among the highest in Norway...
to Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, Norway
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...
. Founded in 1950, it operated a car ferry across the sound, and bus traffic on Askøy and to Bergen. The ferry route was discontinued in 1992 when the Askøy Bridge
Askøy Bridge
The Askøy Bridge is a suspension bridge which crosses Byfjorden between Bergen and Askøy in Hordaland, Norway. It is long and has a main span of , making it the longest suspension bridge in Norway. It carries two lanes of County Road 562 and a combined pedestrian and bicycle path...
opened. It also operated ferries between Bergen and Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
and in Boknafjord
Boknafjord
The Boknafjord is a Norwegian fjord located in the county of Rogaland, between the cities Stavanger and Haugesund. The fjord is shared between the municipalities of Kvitsøy, Rennesøy, Finnøy, Tysvær, Bokn and Karmøy....
. In 1992 the subsidiary Fjord Line
Fjord Line
Fjord Line is a Norwegian ferry operator offering services between Norway and Denmark. In addition to passenger transport, Fjord line operates cargo transport through its cargo division in Norway and Denmark.-History:Fjord Line was founded in 1993...
was established, providing cruiseferry
Cruiseferry
A cruiseferry is a ship that combines the features of a cruise ship with a Ro-Pax ferry. Many passengers travel with the ships for the cruise experience, staying only a few hours at the destination port or not leaving the ship at all, while others use the ships as means of...
services from Bergen and Egersund
Egersund
The town of Egersund was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . It was merged with the surrounding municipality of Eigersund January 1, 1965....
to Hanstholm
Hanstholm
Hanstholm is a small town and a former island, now elevated area in Thisted municipality of Region Nordjylland, located in the northern part of Denmark. Coordinates:...
in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. The two companies merged in 1995, and were subsequently bought by Bergen Nordhordland Rutelag
Bergen Nordhordland Rutelag
Bergen Nordhordland Rutelag is a Norwegian company based in Hordaland. The company operates a small fleet of ferries.-History:BNR It has roots back to 1880 when Lindaas-Masfjorden Dampskibsselskap was created. The company was founded in 1974 when Bergen-Nordhordland Trafikklag, Indre Nordhordland...
, after a bid from Color Line was found to be too low.