The Swedish industrial group, the parent company of Stena Line, has signed an agreement to buy the Norwegian ferry company that connects Norway with Denmark, Germany, and Sweden with five ships across four services.

Stena intends for Color Line to continue as a separate, independent business and brand, with local management in Norway and Norwegian-registered ships. "At the same time, Stena will use its industrial expertise, reach, and experience to strengthen and further develop Color Line - including in decarbonisation, technology, digitalisation, customer service, and logistics," reads a press release from Stena Line.

Niclas Mårtensson, CEO, Stena Line, commented, "This is a true milestone in Stena Line's history, further strengthening our ability to be a reliable link between places, people, and communities. When we welcome Color Line to the Stena family, I'm confident that together we will be able not only to develop our business opportunities but also to contribute to the positive development of communities, including through tourism and more sustainable shipping."

His counterpart at Color Line, Trond Kleivdal, also said, "Color Line is one of the most recognised and valued brands in our industry, and Stena wants to preserve these strengths while giving us a stronger foundation for the company's further development and renewal as part of Stena. Together with our skilled and dedicated employees, we will have the strength to shape the future through quality, efficiency, and reliability in every part of our business."

Subject to regulatory approval, the proposed transaction is expected to be completed towards the end of Q1 or during Q2 2027.

In 2025, Color Line's fleet served nearly 3.6 million passengers and carried 150,000 ro-ro cargo units to and from Norway.

Photo: Color Line