Hurtigrutemuseet

 

The first organized costal traffic in Northern-Norway took place in 1838 whit the steamship “Prins Gustav”. It sailed between Trondheim and Tromsø in the summertime. Gradually more ships began to sail along the coastline, and the state driven route was extended. In 1857 it was decided that private shipping companies were to take over most of the route. They were to get a compensation for the transportation of the post, and possibly some direct government grant. It took several years before someone could take over, but nobody wanted to sail toward the north in the winter.

In 1891 steamboat consultant in the ministry of internal affairs, August Kriegsmann Gran, brought the old idea of a faster connection between southern and northern Norway back to life. He eagered for an expressroute between Trondheim and Hammerfest, which would also correspond whit a train from Trondheim to Kristiania.

An inquiry was made to “The Bergenske steamship company” and The Nordenfjeldske steamship company” who both declined to submit an offer. Reasons for this were, among others, that the maps were to poor, and that there were very few lighthouses along the norwegian coastline. At all this whole thing seemed to unsure and the mather was put to rest for now.

In 1892 August Kriegsmann Gran met director Richard With on a journey to Harstad. This resulted in that “The Vesteraalske steamship company” submited an offer. Richard With wanted 70.000 kr to carry out weekly sailings throughout the whole year.

In 1893 a fouryear contract was signed. It said that there was going to be salings between Trondheim and Hammerfest with 9 called stops in the summer months, and between Trondheim and Tromsø in the winther months.

 

Sunday the 2. of July in 1893 at 8.30 pm D.S Vesteraalen was ready for departure, and left Brattøra in Trondheim whit a steady course for Hammerfest.The men on the bridge were probably very proud when they docked in Hammerfest 67 hours later, 30 minutes before schedule. The costal express was now officially established.

This was the beginning of an important part of the Norwegian coastal history – maybe even the most important part, with regular sailings even in the winter months.

Already the year after – in 1894 – the next concession went to “The Bergenske steamship company” and “The Nordenfjeldske steamship company” together. After a while the route was extended and the coastal express had several departures every week. In 1914 the coastal express had 5 sailings every week, and they all went from Bergen to Kirkenes.

Since 1936 until today the coastal express has had regular daily departures from Bergen to Kirkenes, only interrupted by the 2. world war. With daily departures from Bergen, we today have 11 coastal express ships. On their way from Bergen to Kirkenes they dock in 34 ports. In the summer they also visit Geiranger.

The war had big consequences on the Coastal Express. Already on the 9.of April in 1940, the Coastal Express was terminated. Only “DS Dronning Maud” continued all the way to Kirkenes to unload cargo. The rest of the ships unloaded where they were. The ships were put to transport commission for the Norwegian government. “DS Mira”, “DS Polarlys” and “DS Nordnorge” were however taken by the Germans. During the summer in 1940 the Coastal Express started running again.

After the German attack on Soviet Russia in 1941, Finnmark became a war zone. This meant that the coastal express only went up to Tromsø. To maintain the route all the way up to Finnmark smaller ships and fishing boats took over the route from Tromsø to Finnmark.

Of the 15 ships that sailed in the coastal express in 1940, 9 were sunken. More than 700 people died.

After the war the work to reconstruct the coastal express started. In 1946 the route from Bergen to Kirkenes started to run again with 5 sailings every week. 4 new boats were ordered from Italy. They were delivered in 1949 and 1950 and were named Erling Jarl, Midnatsol, Vesterålen and Sanct Svithun.

In 1953 they started with daily departures from Bergen again.

In the 1950s-/-60s the Coastal Express got a unique possition in Norwegian communications. With about half a million travellers in addition to the post and goods transportation, the Coastal Express soon got to be one of Norways largest transportors.

The Coastal Express has not quite been spared for accidens in the post-war period either. We have had two tragic losses, which both have set their marks on the Coastal Express history. DS Nordstjernen sank in Raftsundet the 22.of september in 1954. the 21. of october MS Sanct Svithun got out of course and went down near Nordøyan lighthouse. Both accidents resulted in the loss of lives.

In the post-war period there was a strong development in Norway, something that created a good foundation for the Coastal Express traffic. In these new, good times new ships were build, and in 1964 we could say goobye to the last steamship running in the Coastal Express. This was DS Lofoten build in 1932.

The extention of the railway, the building of new roads and bridges in addition to the strong development of airline traffic resulted in a new structure of the Norwegian communications. In the 1970s the number of passangers in the Coastal Express therefore went drasticly down.

In 1982/-83 we got a new generation of ships, with higher standards and a more modern ways of cargo carrying than their predecessors. This was MS Midnatsol, MS Narvik and MS Vesterålen. They then replaced older ships in the Coastal Express. In these new ships all the cabins had showers and toiletts, something they also build in to some of the older ships.

In 1987 a new plan to set the focus more on the tourist traffic was prepared. The state also suggested a temporary gouvernment grant untill the Coastal Express could manage on its own. The Coastal Express has always recived some gouvernment grant.

 

A new generation of ships came with MS Kong Harald in 1993. up to 2003 9 out of 11 ships were replaced. This is the biggest renewal in the history of the Coastal Express. The new ships have good facilitys for courses and conferences. The three newest ships even have exercice rooms, saunas and jacuzzis. One of the ships also has a swimming pool.

The coastal Express is well known, even outside of Norway, as the worlds most beautiful see voage, and is one of the most important areas in Norwegian travell-business.

In the winter months two of the regular ships in the Coastal Express go on a cruise to Antarctica. This means that the old veteran ships, MS Nordstjernen from 1956 and

MS Lofoten from 1964 are put in to replace on their Coastal Express route.

Apart from the two ships that go on a cruise to Antarctica, several of the newer ships go on special cruices in the winter months. Midnatsol from 1982 is now renamed to Lyngen, and can be seen travelling along the Norwegian coastline in the years to come.

The Coastal Express is facing an exiting future.