Hurtigruten AS is a Norwegian coastal ferry service and cruise line headquartered in Oslo, Norway.[1] It is the larger of two companies currently operating Hurtigruten, the coastal ferry service along the Norwegian coast from which it takes its name.[2]
Hurtigruten AS is the result of a merger between the previous operators of the Hurtigruten service, Troms Fylkes Dampskibsselskap (TFDS) and Ofotens og Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab (OVDS). TFDS was founded in 1866, and OVDS was established in 1868. The two companies merged in March 2006 to form Hurtigruten Group ASA, and twelve months later the merged entity assumed the name Hurtigruten ASA.[citation needed]
Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab and the company founder, Richard With, pioneered the Norwegian Coastal Express in 1893, and Hurtigruten has continuously served the route since then.[4]
In 2012, the company headquarters was moved from Narvik to Tromsø.[1] In October 2014, TDR Capital purchased a majority ownership of Hurtigruten.[5] In 2015, the legal form of Hurtigruten was changed from ASA to AS.[6]
In 2021, the international and the Norwegian branches of the company was separated operationally. In 2024, HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) and Hurtigruten became completely separate as independent companies.[7]
Operations
The Coastal Express
Hurtigruten is one of two operators sailing the original and iconic route of the Hurtigruten (literally "The Fast Route"), stopping at 34 ports from the southern city of Bergen and the northeastern city of Kirkenes. A total of 8 ships operate this route.[8]
Signature
In addition to the Coastal Express, Hurtigruten also sails two Signature routes[9] along the Norwegian coast: The North Cape Line[10] and The Svalbard Line.[11]
These routes are currently operated by two ships: MS Trollfjord,[12] which sails The Svalbard Line between Bergen and Longyearbyen in summer and The North Cape Line between Oslo and Honningvsåg in winter; and MS Finnmarken,[13] which operates The North Cape Line from Hamburg to Honningsvåg. MS Midnatsol will join the fleet as a Signature ship from May 2026,[14] sailing The Svalbard Line and The North Cape Line from Hamburg.
Tourism
The company also owns Hurtigruten Svalbard[15] (formerly Spitsbergen Travel), a tour and hotel company based in Longyearbyen.
Hurtigruten ASA owned 71.3% of the transportation company TIRB. The shares were sold to Boreal Transport Nord AS in July 2014 for 95.9 million NOK.[29]
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