Faster and more convenient to the ferries to Scandinavia

Press release from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour, Infrastructure and Tourism

Meyer: Seasonal service to Sassnitz ferry port has established itself with holidaymakers - additional trips booked for the 2024 summer holidays

This summer, holidaymakers can once again travel in comfort by train to the ferry to Trelleborg (Sweden) and Bornholm (Denmark) - and even more frequently this season: the Ministry of Transport and the Hanseatic Railway (HANS) have extended the train service between Bergen auf Rügen and the ferry port of Sassnitz (RegiobalExpress RE 27) to one additional day (Thursday) per week during the main holiday season. During the main arrival and departure days in the coming summer holiday season, the RE 27 will run on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. This will ensure supra-regional connections in Bergen auf Rügen. "The seasonal service from Bergen auf Rügen to the ferry port in Sassnitz to connect to the ferry lines to Bornholm and Trelleborg has established itself with holidaymakers in recent years. The extended timetable with an additional day of service will make the offer even more attractive. We are offering ferry passengers without a car better accessibility to the port and at the same time strengthening the ferry port as a tourist hub," said Reinhard Meyer, Minister for Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Tourism and Labour.

The transport company commissioned by the state of MV - Hanseatische Eisenbahn GmbH - transported over 1,600 passengers on the trains to the ferries last season.

By train directly to the harbour

The Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea can be reached by ferry in around three and a half hours. The crossing to the southern Swedish city of Trelleborg takes just two and a half hours from Sassnitz. Between 18 May and 19 October 2024, two return journeys will be offered every Saturday on the route between Bergen auf Rügen and Sassnitz ferry port as line RE27. In summer, the RE27 will also run on Sundays (30 June to 29 September) and on Thursdays (25 July to 22 August) during the main holiday season. This year, for the first time, the arrivals and departures of the ferries have been combined so that more and better connections between train and ship are available.

State of MV finances offer

The RE27 journeys are ordered and financed by the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. After the end of the season, all parties involved will jointly evaluate the demand for the service and discuss the organisation of the service for the years 2025 to 2027.

"The RE27 harbour feeder service has shown potential in recent years. That's why the state has decided to continue the service for the coming season," says Daniel Bischof, Managing Director of VMV-Verkehrsgesellschaft Mecklenburg-Vorpommern mbH, adding: "We are of course trying to adapt the service to demand in the best possible way. The five new journeys on Thursdays during the summer holidays are initially intended as a test. We don't yet know whether the RE27 will also find customers outside of the weekends. However, this year we have omitted journeys that were hardly used in previous years in the rather cool months of May and October in Scandinavia. I hope that many holidaymakers will take up this climate-friendly offer."

Managing Director Harm Sievers from "Mukran Port" emphasises: "Especially in times of social rethinking towards more environmental protection, the climate-friendly combination of train and ship represents a good and environmentally friendly alternative to existing travel options. The 'Mukran Port Shuttle' and the short distances between the train platform and ferries at the port location of Mukran offer travellers an enormous service advantage on the island of Rügen, which contributes to increasing the attractiveness of the port location, especially for tourists."

René Haber-Henning, Managing Director of Hanseatische Eisenbahn (HANS), states: "This year's resumption of the rail connection between Bergen on Rügen and the ferry port of Sassnitz (RE27) marks an important point in our endeavour to offer sustainable, regional transport solutions. This direct connection not only offers our passengers a convenient way to reach Bornholm and Sweden, but also helps to minimise the environmental impact of tourism. We are proud that our efforts to promote passenger transport while protecting our environment have been optimally utilised by a steadily growing number of travellers over the past two years. With connections from Berlin, Brandenburg or Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, we want to encourage even more people to use this sustainable travel option. Our vision is to shape the transport of the future while always acting in harmony with the needs of our passengers and the environment."

You can find the RE27 timetable here.

The "MV FÄHRT GUT" journey planner

With the free, nationwide timetable app "MV DRIVES WELL" for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern you will find all timetable data for the RE27.