DFDS Tor Line
Encyclopedia
DFDS Tor Line was a freight shipping company owned by the Denmark-based DFDS
. DFDS Tor Line was a freight-carrying division of DFDS along with DFDS Lisco
, DFDS Lys Line and DFDS Container Line. Together with its subsidiaries DFDS Tor Line operated a fleet of approximately 65 ro-ro, ro-pax and lo-lo ships, primarily on the North
and Baltic Sea
s.
Tor Line was originally founded as a joint venture between the Swedish Trans Oil Shipping and Rex Shipping to operate car-passenger ferries between Sweden, England and the Netherlands. The company name was an abbreviation of the founding companies' names, Trains Oil and Rex Line. Tor Line begun passenger operations in 1966 and freight operations in 1969. In 1980 Tor Line formed a brief joint venture for passenger services, Sessan Tor Line, with Sessan Line. A similar joint venture was formed for freight services with Swedish Lloyd. Both proved short-lived: Stena Line
acquired Sessan Line in 1981, and during the same year Tor Line passenger services were sold to DFDS
. A year later DFDS also acquired Tor Line's freight services. Initially both divisions were marketed as DFDS Tor Line, but the passenger ferries were later moved under the DFDS brand.
—Immingham
—Amsterdam
route in 1966 and 1967 as and , respectively. Tor Line's main rivals on the Sweden—England route were England-Sweden Line (ESL), a joint service operated by Ellerman's Wilson Line, Swedish Lloyd and Rederi AB Svea
. The ESL partner companies had also brought new ships on the route in 1966, but these were slower than the Tor ships, had less modern furnishings and lacked full-height cardecks.
In 1975 Tor Line took delivery of the new, larger and faster for the Sweden—England—Netherlands service, followed in 1976 by , a second ship of the same design. With the delivery of the new ships the Tor Anglia and Tor Hollandia were sold. Also in 1976 the English terminal of Tor Line's services was moved to Felixstove. The new ships were arguably the finest ferries of the time, and served as the final blow to the ESL service. Ellerman's Wilson Line and Rederi AB Svea had already dropped out of the joint service previously, and in 1977 Swedish Lloyd also ceased their passenger operations. Despite their dominant position in the Sweden-England service Tor Line's financial position was precarious. There was not enough passenger demand for two large ships on the service during the winter months; due to this the Tor Scandinavia was chartered out as an expedition ship during the winter seasons from 1979 onwards.
To improve their financial position Tor line sought out partnerships with other shipping companies. In 1979 (the former Tor Anglia) was chartered for a planned joint Gothenburg—Kristiansand
—Newcastle
with Fred. Olsen, but Fred. Olsen pulled out before the service could commence. Instead the Espresso Olbia was laid up in Gothenburg. In early 1980 a more successful joint service was formed with Sessan Line, when Sessan Tor Line was established. Logos of the new joint service were painted on Tor Line's ships. Sessan Tor Line proved short-lived as Sessan's main competitors Stena Line
purchased Sessan in early 1981. Subsequently Tor Line entered negotiations to sell either the Tor Britannia or Tor Scandinavia to DFDS
. Instead of buying just one ship DFDS purchased the entire Tor Line passenger division in late 1981. Initially the Tor ships were marketed as DFDS Tor Line, but were subsequently absorbed into DFDS' passenger division DFDS Seaways
. Despite this they kept their original Tor-prefixed names until 1990-1991.
at least one of the Tor Lloyd ships, , was chartered to the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence
for service as a supply vessel.
Like the joint Sessan Tor service, the joint Tor Lloyd service proved short-lived, and in 1982 DFDS acquired Tor Line's freight operations. Following the acquisition the former Tor Line ships were rebranded DFDS Tor Line, and subsequently the Tor division developed into DFDS' main freight-carrying subsidiary.
from Maersk. Following restructuring, the operations of DFDS Tor Line, DFDS Lisco
and Norfolkline
were integrated into DFDS Seaways
. The merger led to changes and additions to freight destinations and an expansion in freight volumes.
DFDS
DFDS is a Danish shipping company. It is one of the world's largest ferry operators. The companies name is an acronym of Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskab DFDS is a Danish shipping company. It is one of the world's largest ferry operators. The companies name is an acronym of Det Forenede...
. DFDS Tor Line was a freight-carrying division of DFDS along with DFDS Lisco
DFDS Lisco
DFDS Lisco was a Lithuanian ferry company that operated passenger and freight services across the Baltic Sea from Lithuania to Sweden and Germany. Following DFDS's acquisition of Norfolkline in 2010...
, DFDS Lys Line and DFDS Container Line. Together with its subsidiaries DFDS Tor Line operated a fleet of approximately 65 ro-ro, ro-pax and lo-lo ships, primarily on the North
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
and Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
s.
Tor Line was originally founded as a joint venture between the Swedish Trans Oil Shipping and Rex Shipping to operate car-passenger ferries between Sweden, England and the Netherlands. The company name was an abbreviation of the founding companies' names, Trains Oil and Rex Line. Tor Line begun passenger operations in 1966 and freight operations in 1969. In 1980 Tor Line formed a brief joint venture for passenger services, Sessan Tor Line, with Sessan Line. A similar joint venture was formed for freight services with Swedish Lloyd. Both proved short-lived: Stena Line
Stena Line
Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
acquired Sessan Line in 1981, and during the same year Tor Line passenger services were sold to DFDS
DFDS
DFDS is a Danish shipping company. It is one of the world's largest ferry operators. The companies name is an acronym of Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskab DFDS is a Danish shipping company. It is one of the world's largest ferry operators. The companies name is an acronym of Det Forenede...
. A year later DFDS also acquired Tor Line's freight services. Initially both divisions were marketed as DFDS Tor Line, but the passenger ferries were later moved under the DFDS brand.
Passenger operations 1966-1981
Two Swedish shipping companies, Trans Oil Shipping and Rex Shipping, decided to form a new company for providing car/passenger ferry services between Sweden, England and the Netherlands. The new Tor Line (an abbreviation of Trans Oil and Rex) ordered the construction of two state-of-the-art ferries from Lübecker Flender-Werke in West Germany. These entered service on the GothenburgGothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
—Immingham
Immingham
Immingham is a town in North East Lincolnshire, located on the south bank of the Humber Estuary...
—Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
route in 1966 and 1967 as and , respectively. Tor Line's main rivals on the Sweden—England route were England-Sweden Line (ESL), a joint service operated by Ellerman's Wilson Line, Swedish Lloyd and Rederi AB Svea
Rederi AB Svea
Stockholms Rederi AB Svea was a Swedish shipping company founded in the 1870s...
. The ESL partner companies had also brought new ships on the route in 1966, but these were slower than the Tor ships, had less modern furnishings and lacked full-height cardecks.
In 1975 Tor Line took delivery of the new, larger and faster for the Sweden—England—Netherlands service, followed in 1976 by , a second ship of the same design. With the delivery of the new ships the Tor Anglia and Tor Hollandia were sold. Also in 1976 the English terminal of Tor Line's services was moved to Felixstove. The new ships were arguably the finest ferries of the time, and served as the final blow to the ESL service. Ellerman's Wilson Line and Rederi AB Svea had already dropped out of the joint service previously, and in 1977 Swedish Lloyd also ceased their passenger operations. Despite their dominant position in the Sweden-England service Tor Line's financial position was precarious. There was not enough passenger demand for two large ships on the service during the winter months; due to this the Tor Scandinavia was chartered out as an expedition ship during the winter seasons from 1979 onwards.
To improve their financial position Tor line sought out partnerships with other shipping companies. In 1979 (the former Tor Anglia) was chartered for a planned joint Gothenburg—Kristiansand
Kristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
—Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
with Fred. Olsen, but Fred. Olsen pulled out before the service could commence. Instead the Espresso Olbia was laid up in Gothenburg. In early 1980 a more successful joint service was formed with Sessan Line, when Sessan Tor Line was established. Logos of the new joint service were painted on Tor Line's ships. Sessan Tor Line proved short-lived as Sessan's main competitors Stena Line
Stena Line
Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
purchased Sessan in early 1981. Subsequently Tor Line entered negotiations to sell either the Tor Britannia or Tor Scandinavia to DFDS
DFDS
DFDS is a Danish shipping company. It is one of the world's largest ferry operators. The companies name is an acronym of Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskab DFDS is a Danish shipping company. It is one of the world's largest ferry operators. The companies name is an acronym of Det Forenede...
. Instead of buying just one ship DFDS purchased the entire Tor Line passenger division in late 1981. Initially the Tor ships were marketed as DFDS Tor Line, but were subsequently absorbed into DFDS' passenger division DFDS Seaways
DFDS Seaways
DFDS Seaways is a large Danish shipping company operating passenger and freight services across Northern Europe. Following the acquisition of Norfolkline in 2010, DFDS restructured its other shipping divisions into the previously passenger only operation of DFDS Seaways.-History:The company has...
. Despite this they kept their original Tor-prefixed names until 1990-1991.
Freight operations 1969 onwards
Tor Line first initiated freight services in 1969 with , and the company acquired a larfe fleet of freight-carrying vessels during the subsequent years. In 1980, around the same time as the establishment of joint passenger services with Sessan Line, Tor Line established a joint freight service with their former competitors Swedish Lloyd, marketed as Tor Lloyd. During the Falklands WarFalklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
at least one of the Tor Lloyd ships, , was chartered to the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
for service as a supply vessel.
Like the joint Sessan Tor service, the joint Tor Lloyd service proved short-lived, and in 1982 DFDS acquired Tor Line's freight operations. Following the acquisition the former Tor Line ships were rebranded DFDS Tor Line, and subsequently the Tor division developed into DFDS' main freight-carrying subsidiary.
Organisation changes 2010 onwards
In 2010 DFDS acquired NorfolklineNorfolkline
Norfolkline was a European ferry operator and logistics company owned by Maersk. It provided freight ferry services on the English channel, Irish Sea, and the North Sea; and passenger ferry services on the English channel and Irish Sea; and logistics services across Europe...
from Maersk. Following restructuring, the operations of DFDS Tor Line, DFDS Lisco
DFDS Lisco
DFDS Lisco was a Lithuanian ferry company that operated passenger and freight services across the Baltic Sea from Lithuania to Sweden and Germany. Following DFDS's acquisition of Norfolkline in 2010...
and Norfolkline
Norfolkline
Norfolkline was a European ferry operator and logistics company owned by Maersk. It provided freight ferry services on the English channel, Irish Sea, and the North Sea; and passenger ferry services on the English channel and Irish Sea; and logistics services across Europe...
were integrated into DFDS Seaways
DFDS Seaways
DFDS Seaways is a large Danish shipping company operating passenger and freight services across Northern Europe. Following the acquisition of Norfolkline in 2010, DFDS restructured its other shipping divisions into the previously passenger only operation of DFDS Seaways.-History:The company has...
. The merger led to changes and additions to freight destinations and an expansion in freight volumes.
Fleet
| Ship | Built | Entered service | Gross tonnage Gross tonnage Gross tonnage is a unitless index related to a ship's overall internal volume. Gross tonnage is different from gross register tonnage... |
Flag | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 1992 | Under charter from Eidsiva Rederi Eidsiva Rederi Eidsiva Rederi is an international shipping company based in Oslo that operates nine car carriers and four Ro-Ro vessels in addition to two other ships. Among the chartering companies are Hyundai and DFDS Tor Line.-History:... . |
|||
| 1978 | 1992 | Under charter from Doyen Shipping. | |||
| 1978 | 1999 | Under charter from CS & Partners. | |||
| 1975 | 1999 | Under charter from DFDS Lisco DFDS Lisco DFDS Lisco was a Lithuanian ferry company that operated passenger and freight services across the Baltic Sea from Lithuania to Sweden and Germany. Following DFDS's acquisition of Norfolkline in 2010... . |
|||
| 1999 | 1999 | ||||
| 1999 | 1999 | ||||
| 1977 | 2000 | Under charter from Balticum Shipping. | |||
| 2000 | 2000 | ||||
| 2003 | 2003 | ||||
| 2004 | 2004 | ||||
| 2004 | 2004 | ||||
| 2004 | 2004 | ||||
| 1980 | 2005 |  United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
Under charter from Eidsiva Rederi Eidsiva Rederi Eidsiva Rederi is an international shipping company based in Oslo that operates nine car carriers and four Ro-Ro vessels in addition to two other ships. Among the chartering companies are Hyundai and DFDS Tor Line.-History:... . |
||
| 2005 | 2005 | ||||
| 1972 | 2006 | Under charter from Skandia Liv. | |||
| 2006 | 2006 | ||||
| 1998 | 2007 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
Under charter from Stena Line Stena Line Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,... . |
||
| 2007 | 2007 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
Under charter from Macoma Shipping. | ||
| 1974 | 2007 | Under charter from Crystalline Oceanway. | |||
| 2000 | 2009 |
Passenger ferries
| Ship | Built | In service | Tonnage | Flag | Status as of 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 1966—1976 | Since 2006 MS Baia Sardinia for D&P Cruises. | |||
| 1967 | 1967—1975 | Since 2007 MS F. Diamond for F. Lines. | |||
| 1975 | 1975—1981 | Since 2003 MS Moby Drea for Moby Lines Moby Lines Moby Lines is an Italian shipping company that operates ferries and cruiseferries between the Italian or French mainland and the islands of Elba, Sardinia and Corsica. The company was founded in 1959 under the name Navigazione Arcipelago Maddalenino .In 2006 Moby Lines purchased Lloyd Sardegna... . |
|||
| 1976 | 1976—1981 | Since 2006 MS Moby Otta for Moby Lines. |
Freighters
| Ship | Built | In service | Chartered/owned | Tonnage | Flag | Status as of 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1999 | Chartered | Since 2006 MS Celtic star for Celtic Ferries. |