Hurtigruten facts for kids

Hurtigruten (which means Express Route) is a famous Norwegian ship route. It's also known as the Coastal Route Bergen-Kirkenes. These ships carry both people and cargo along Norway's long coastline. They help people travel locally, regionally, and between different towns. They also move goods between ports north of Tromsø.

Hurtigruten ships sail every day, all year round, between Bergen and Kirkenes. They stop at 34 ports when going north and 33 ports when going south. The Norwegian government sets rules for these ships, like how many passengers they must carry (at least 320) and how much cargo they can hold. Currently, two companies operate this route: Hurtigruten AS and Havila Kystruten AS.

In April 2022, one of Havila Kystruten's ships, MS Havila Capella, had to stop sailing for a while. This was because of international rules related to the 2022 events in Ukraine, which affected its insurance. By March 2023, Havila Kystruten had two ships, Havila Capella and Havila Castor, sailing again. Two more ships, Havila Polaris and Havila Pollux, were expected to join them soon.

History of the Coastal Express

The ship Vesteraalen near Bodø on its very first trip in 1893.

Hurtigruten started in 1893. The government wanted to make it easier to travel and send mail along Norway's long and winding coast. The ship Vesteraalen made the first round trip. It left Trondheim on July 2, 1893, heading for Hammerfest. It stopped at many towns along the way. The ship arrived in Hammerfest after 67 hours.

The captain of this first journey was Richard With, who also founded the route. At that time, this was the fastest way to travel between northern and southern Norway. That's why it was named Hurtigruten, or "express route." For example, mail from central Norway to Hammerfest used to take three weeks in summer and five months in winter. With Hurtigruten, it could arrive in just seven days!

Before Hurtigruten, the waters along the coast were not well mapped. Traveling there was very difficult, especially during the dark winters. Only one company, Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab, was brave enough to make the trip. They had their own detailed maps and instructions. Hurtigruten was a huge step forward for the towns along its path.

The ship Narvik (built in 1982) in Svolvær. It was sold in 2007.

Because Vesteraalens' first trips were so successful, other shipping companies also got permission to run ships on the route. The route was later extended to go all the way from Bergen in the southwest to Kirkenes in the far northeast. A fleet of 11 ships now visits each of the 34 ports every day, going both north and south.

Until the 1940s, many ports north of Trondheim could not be reached by road from Oslo. This meant that ships were the only way to get there. But starting in the 1960s, things changed. More airports were built, and roads improved. So, Hurtigruten started to focus more on tourism.

In the 1980s, new, bigger, and more comfortable ships were introduced. These ships had hot tubs, bars, and nice restaurants. Even with these changes, Hurtigruten still carries important passengers and cargo. It operates 365 days a year. In 2006, the two main companies running the route merged to form the Hurtigruten Group. Later, in 2015, a private company bought Hurtigruten. Besides the trips in Norway, Hurtigruten also offers special expedition cruises to places like Greenland, South America, and Antarctica.

Havila Capella and Havila Castor meeting for the first time on the coastal express route.

New Contracts for the Route

In 2017, the Norwegian government decided to split the Hurtigruten contract into three parts. After companies bid for these contracts, two were given to Hurtigruten AS, and one was given to Havila Kystruten AS. Hurtigruten AS will operate seven ships, and Havila Kystruten AS will operate four. The two companies will take turns with departure days for the route from Bergen to Kirkenes.

Havila Kystruten AS is building four brand new ships for the route. Hurtigruten AS will update seven of its existing ships to meet new, stricter rules about pollution.

The four new Havila ships will use LNG (a cleaner fuel) and battery power. Using LNG will cut down CO₂ emissions by 25%. The battery power will save even more energy. These new ships are named Havila Capella, Havila Castor, Havila Polaris, and Havila Pollux. They were all built in Turkey.

Hurtigruten's existing ships will be modernized and made more environmentally friendly. Ships like MS Eirik Raude, MS Trollfjord, and MS Otto Sverdrup are being updated with a Scandinavian style inside. They will also get special filters and engines that can use LNG. This will help reduce their emissions by 25%. The ships will also get hybrid motors and battery packs.

Current Fleet

As of 2020, here are some of the ships sailing on the Hurtigruten route:

Name	Built	Gross tonnage	Notes	Image	Ref
MS Vesterålen	1983	6,261
MS Kong Harald	1993	11,204
MS Richard With	1993	11,205
MS Nordlys	1994	11,204
MS Polarlys	1996	11,341
MS Nordkapp	1996	11,386
MS Nordnorge	1997	11,384
MS Havila Capella	2021	15,519
MS Havila Castor	2022	15,519
MS Havila Polaris	2023	15,519
MS Havila Pollux	2023	15,519

The ship Nordstjernen in Bergen.

Places Visited on the Coastal Route

Here are the towns and cities the ships visit when going northbound:

Live Television Broadcast

In 2011, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation showed the Hurtigruten ship MS Nordnorge's entire 134-hour journey from Bergen to Kirkenes live on TV. This was part of their "slow television" series, where they broadcast long, continuous events.

Accidents and Incidents

A memorial in Bodø remembering an incident on board the ship Erling Jarl in 1958.

Before World War II, some Hurtigruten ships were lost, often because they ran aground in bad weather. Many ships in the Hurtigruten fleet were also sunk during World War II.

In September 1954, the ship SS Nordstjernen ran aground at night and later sank. In January 1958, a fire started on board MS Erling Jarl while it was docked in Bodø. A memorial in Bodø today remembers this event.

In October 1962, MS Sanct Svithun hit a reef due to a navigation mistake. In 2011, MS Nordlys had an engine room fire. These incidents remind us of the challenges of sea travel.