Innherredsferja

Infobox Defunct Company
company_name = Innherredsferja AS
company_
fate = Lost PSO contract
successor = Tide
foundation = 1958
defunct = December 31 2006
location = Levanger, Norway
industry = Transport
key_people =
products =
num_employees =
parent = Fosen Trafikklag
subsid =

Innherredsferja was a Norwegian ferry operator in Trondheimfjord in Nord-Trøndelag. It operated the Levanger–Hokstad Ferry between Levanger and Ytterøy, and the Vangshylla–Kjerringvik Ferry between Inderøy and Mosvik. Among the owners of the company prior to the 2005 purchase by Fosen Trafikklag were Nord-Trøndelag county municipality, Levanger municipality and Coop Verdal. Operations started in 1958 and ceased in 2007.

History

Automobile ferry transport in Innherred started in 1958 when Innherredsferja started the route Levanger–Hokstad–Vangshylla–Kjerringvik–Venneshamn; connecting Levanger to the island of Ytterøy, and onwards connecting Inderøy with Mosvik. In 1964 a new road between Kjerringvik and Venneshamn opened, and at the same time a second ferry was purchased, allowing two routes to be established, the Levanger–Hokstad Ferry and the Vangshylla–Kjerringvik Ferry. [cite web |url=http://www.adressa.no/tema/villeveier/article359491.ece |title=Ferjene i Midt-Norge |author=Adresseavisen |date=2004-12-02 |accessdate=2008-07-09 |language=Norwegian]

Planning of the Skarnsund Bridge started in 1983 with the establishment of the company "AS Skarnsundsbrua" that would finance the bridge; construction started in 1988 and on 19 December 1991 the last Vangshylla–Kjerringvik Ferry went, with King Harald V on board, and the bridge opened.

After the Norwegian Public Roads Administration announced they would make subsidized ferry lines subject to public service obligation, the Levanger–Hokstad Ferry was put in a package with the Brekstad–Valset Ferry, at the time operated by Fosen Trafikklag. In preparation for the competition Innherredsferja was bought by Fosen Trafikklag, [cite web |url=http://www.adressa.no/nyheter/okonomi/article492867.ece |title=Fosen tar over Innherredsferja |author=Adresseavisen |date=2005-04-12 |accessdate=2008-07-09 |language=Norwegian] but fail to succeed at the contract, loosing it to Nor-Ferjer (later merging to form Tide Sjø who took over the line as of 1 January 2007; the same date Innherredsferja ceased to exsist. [cite web |url=http://www.adressa.no/nyheter/midtnorge/article497904.ece |title=- Fosen tapte to ferjeruter |author=Adresseavisen |date=2005-04-27 |accessdate=2008-07-09 |language=Norwegian]

Fleet

In 1958 the ferry MF "Innherredsferja" was bought for the Levanger–Hokstad–Vangshylla–Kjerringvik–Venneshamn route, supplemented by MF "Innherredsferja II" in 1962. Two years later the new road between Kjerringvik and Venneshamn opened, allowing the operations to split. "Innherredsferja" was set to operate Vangshylla–Kjerringvik while the newer vessel was set on the Levanger–Hokstad Ferry. In 1981 the ferry MF "Ytterøy" was delivered, and the next year MF "Mosvik". The latter remained in service only six years until the larger MF "Skarnsund II" was delivered and served the last three years of the Vangshylla–Kjerringvik Ferry. "Ytterøy" was replaced by MF "Ytterøy II" in 2002. [cite web |url=http://www.fjordfaehren.de/ferjesteder/trondheimsfjord.htm |title=Trondheimsfjord |author=Fjordfähren |accessdate=2008-07-09 |language=Norwegian]

References