Stena Lines volumes, Jan-Sept 98

Freight volumes have risen on Stena Line's ferries for the first three quarters of 1998 The Stena Line Group reported a rise (+2 per cent) in freight volumes while private car volumes remained unchanged and the number of passengers declined (- 4 per cent) during the first nine months of the year. During the period's final quarter, July to September, the number of passengers and private cars rose by 6 and 7 per cent respectively on the route between Oslo and Frederikshavn. However, passenger volumes on the Germany and Denmark routes fell by 7 and 10 per cent respectively during the third quarter and 9 and 6 per cent respectively for the whole period. On the routes around the UK the number of passengers fell by 3 per cent during July - September while the number of private cars rose by 2 per cent and freight units increased by 17 per cent. Passenger numbers on routes around the UK have been disrupted by the HSS ferry, Stena Discovery, being out of service for 12 weeks during the first half-year. This has affected the volume trend for both the Harwich - Hook of Holland route where the Stena Discovery operates and Stranraer - Belfast from where the Stena Voyager had been moved as a replacement. Passenger traffic between Wales and Ireland has increased by 5 per cent. The high-speed ferry Stena Explorer has established itself as an attractive transport alternative on the Holyhead - Dun Laoghaire route with a 4 per cent increase in the number of passengers and a 26 per cent increase in the number of freight units. The ropax ferry Stena Challenger has transported 54 per cent more passengers and 14 per cent more freight units between Holyhead and Dublin compared with the same period last year. Freight traffic has progressed well on a number of Stena Line's ferry routes. The number of freight units on the three routes between Sweden and Denmark rose by 4 per cent, between the UK and Holland by 2 per cent, between Wales and Ireland by 14 per cent and between Sweden and Poland by 46 per cent. The volume increase on the Scandinavian routes was reduced by transport strikes in Denmark and Norway during the second quarter. Consequently, the number of freight units on the Oslo - Frederikshavn route fell by 2 per cent between January and September. The total number of freight units for the period January - September was 539.000 (526.000) - a 2 per cent volume increase. The volume figures for the Short Sea routes across the English Channel are not included in the comparison as the routes have been part of the joint-venture company P&O Stena Line since March 10 1998. The volume figures for the nine month period January to September are attached on a route by route basis. Göteborg 13 October. 1998 Stena Line AB Communications & Public Affairs Any questions from the media should be directed to Göran Ekstedt at Communications & Public Affairs on telephone +46(0)31 85 81 80 or to the Communications Department at Stena Line UK on telephone +44(0)1233 622 558. Stena Line Group volume development January -September 1998 1) 2) Passengers Private cars Freight units Route Jan-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Sep Jan-Sep 1998 1997 1998 1997 1998 1997 Göteborg - 2 355 2 417 423 457 122.1 112.9 Frederikshavn Varberg - Grenå 255 297 57 66 10.3 13.1 Halmstad - Grenå 250 323 57 78 17.4 18.4 Göteborg - Kiel 649 716 92 94 25.6 25.6 Göteborg - Travemunde - - - - 48.2 55.4 Oslo - Frederikshavn 412 415 54 53 10.6 10.8 Karlskrona - Gdynia 147 150 22 21 11.9 8.1 Total Scandinavia 4 068 4 318 705 769 246.1 244.3 Harwich - Hook of 765 913 142 149 89.5 87.5 Holland Fishguard - Rosslare 697 694 153 140 26.0 26.2 Holyhead - Dun 1 399 1 340 247 215 37.1 29.4 Laoghaire Holyhead - Dublin 107 69 23 11 37.4 32.9 Stranraer - Belfast 1 070 1 136 197 204 103.1 106.0 Total Great Britain 4 038 4 152 762 719 293.1 282.0 (excl. Short Sea) Total Group 8 106 8 470 1 467 1 488 539.2 526.3 Short Sea (English Channel) 3) 3) 3) Stena Line 496 4 756 83 857 55.8 278.8 4) 4) 4) P&O Stena Line 8 691 - 1 481 - 589.1 - N.B. All figures rounded to the nearest 1,000 (passengers and private cars) or 100 (freight). 1) Including caravans and private car trailers. 2) The term freight units refers to trucks, trailers, containers and railway carriages. 3) Refers to the period January 1st - March 9th ,1998. Thereafter see P&O Stena Line. 4)P&O Stena Line commenced operation on March 10, 1998. The volumes refer to the period March 10 - June 30, 1998. (9mth98.doc) (9mth98.pdf)