[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_image=”https:\/\/www.kvarken.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Kvarkenradet_bilder_webb_header_nya6-scaled.jpg” custom_padding=”||100px||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”||0px||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”” background_last_edited=”on|phone” use_background_color_gradient_tablet=”on” background_color_gradient_stops_tablet=”rgba(0,42,60,0.5) 0%|rgba(0,42,60,0.5) 100%” background_color_gradient_stops_phone=”rgba(0,42,60,0.5) 0%|rgba(0,42,60,0.5) 100%” background_color_gradient_overlays_image_tablet=”on” background_color_gradient_start_tablet=”rgba(0,42,60,0.5)” background_color_gradient_start_phone=”rgba(0,42,60,0.5)” background_color_gradient_end_tablet=”rgba(0,42,60,0.5)” background_color_gradient_end_phone=”rgba(0,42,60,0.5)” background_image_tablet=”https:\/\/www.kvarken.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/EdelPhoto-12@2x-scaled.jpg” background_image_phone=”https:\/\/www.kvarken.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/EdelPhoto-12@2x-scaled.jpg” background_enable_image_tablet=”on” background_enable_image_phone=”on” parallax_tablet=”off” background_size_tablet=”cover” background_position_tablet=”top_left” background_position_phone=”top_left” custom_css_main_element=”overflow: hidden;” saved_tabs=”all” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_css_main_element_last_edited=”off|desktop” title_text_tablet=”EdelPhoto-12@2x” title_text_phone=”EdelPhoto-12@2x”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0)” background_enable_image=”off” background_position=”bottom_center” positioning=”absolute” position_origin_a=”center_left” horizontal_offset=”-194px” z_index=”2″ width=”1500px” max_width=”75%” height=”711px” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”|-500px|||false|false” custom_margin_phone=”|-600px|||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” scroll_vertical_motion=”0|50|50|100|4|0|1″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.kvarken.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Form3_morkbla.png” title_text=”Form3_morkbla” disabled_on=”on|on|off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” positioning=”absolute” position_origin_a=”center_left” horizontal_offset=”-140px” horizontal_offset_tablet=”” horizontal_offset_phone=”-257px” horizontal_offset_last_edited=”on|phone” position_origin_a_tablet=”” position_origin_a_phone=”center_center” position_origin_a_last_edited=”on|phone” position_origin_f_tablet=”” position_origin_f_phone=”” position_origin_f_last_edited=”on|phone” position_origin_r_tablet=”” position_origin_r_phone=”” position_origin_r_last_edited=”on|phone” width=”100%” width_tablet=”1200px” width_phone=”” width_last_edited=”on|phone” max_width=”75vw” max_width_tablet=”150%” max_width_phone=”910px” max_width_last_edited=”on|phone” min_height=”1300px” min_height_tablet=”600px” min_height_phone=”” min_height_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_margin_tablet=”-120px||||false|false” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” positioning_tablet=”” positioning_phone=”” positioning_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text content_tablet=”<\/p>\n
A JOURNEY 50 YEARS BACK<\/p>\n
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A JOURNEY 50 YEARS BACK<\/p>\n
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A JOURNEY 50 YEARS BACK<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#ffffff” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100px” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”||20px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|300|||||||” text_text_color=”#ffffff” max_width=”480px” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
The Kvarken Council as an organization was formed in 1972. But the quark region has a history of cross-border cooperation that extends much further back than that. Take part in an exciting look back at the history of the Kvarken region.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” positioning=”absolute” position_origin_a=”center_left” z_index=”14″ width=”100%” max_width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.kvarken.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Hojdkurvor_03-1024×1002.png” title_text=”Hojdkurvor_03″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” positioning=”absolute” position_origin_a=”center_left” horizontal_offset=”-460px” width=”680px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_css_main_element_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_css_main_element_tablet=”display: flex;||flex-direction: column-reverse;” custom_css_main_element_phone=”display: flex;||flex-direction: column-reverse;”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”|300|||||||” header_font_size=”54px” header_2_font=”|300|||||||” header_2_font_size=”54px” header_2_font_size_tablet=”42px” header_2_font_size_phone=”” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
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The narrowest part of the Gulf of Bothnia is called the Kvarken Strait. The distance from the Finnish coast to the Swedish coast is about 80\u00a0km and only about 25\u00a0km between the outermost islands. The Kvarken divides the Bothnian Bay in the north from the Bothnian Sea in the south and forms a shallow underwater threshold in the Gulf of Bothnia. The Kvarken\u2019s deepest spot is only about 25\u00a0meters.<\/p>\n
On the Finnish side of the Kvarken, there is a large archipelago with numerous islands, many of them with permanent inhabitants. The coastline and shores are shallow, and the archipelago\u2019s scenery changes rapidly due to a land uplift phenomenon of almost one centimeter per year. The Ostrobothnian mainland is low and characterized by small rivers and fertile soil. On the Swedish side of the Kvarken, the archipelago is smaller in size and the shores are steeper. The archipelago differs from that in Finland, especially in the southern part of V\u00e4sterbotten and in V\u00e4sternorrland with the High Coast.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding_tablet=”||30px||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.kvarken.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/hendrik-morkel-Cvj4LJIHJ3Q-unsplash-2-scaled.jpg” alt=”Kvarken region – the quark region – a varied coastline” title_text=”hendrik-morkel-Cvj4LJIHJ3Q-unsplash 2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|on|on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” disabled=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Photo: The Finnish side of the quark consists of an archipelago with many small islands.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” positioning=”absolute” position_origin_a=”top_right” z_index=”14″ width=”100%” max_width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.kvarken.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Hojdkurvor_02-1024×987.png” title_text=”Hojdkurvor_02″ align=”right” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” positioning=”absolute” position_origin_a=”top_right” horizontal_offset=”-500px” width=”680px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”|300|||||||” header_font_size=”54px” header_2_font=”|300|||||||” header_2_font_size=”54px” header_2_font_size_tablet=”42px” header_2_font_size_phone=”” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
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The Kvarken region consists of the counties of Ostrobothnia, Southern Ostrobothnia and Central Ostrobothnia in Finland and the regions of V\u00e4sterbotten and V\u00e4sternorrland in Sweden.<\/p>\n
The Ostrobothnian counties, with 40\u00a0municipalities in the Province of Western Finland, have 440,000\u00a0inhabitants. More than 100,000 of these have Swedish as their native language, and many of the remaining 330,000\u00a0Finnish-speaking persons also know Swedish.<\/p>\n
The Swedish part of the cross-border region consists of a total of approximately 520,000\u00a0inhabitants in V\u00e4sterbotten and V\u00e4sternorrland.<\/p>\n
The Kvarken region is sparsely populated, especially in V\u00e4sterbotten where the population is concentrated to the coastal areas, while inhabitation in the inland and mountainous regions is quite sparse.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_css_main_element_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_css_main_element_tablet=”display: flex;||flex-direction: column-reverse;” custom_css_main_element_phone=”display: flex;||flex-direction: column-reverse;”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”|300|||||||” header_font_size=”54px” header_2_font=”|300|||||||” header_2_font_size=”54px” header_2_font_size_tablet=”42px” header_2_font_size_phone=”” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|300|||||||” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
The Kvarken Strait is the narrowest part of the Gulf of Bothnia, and for thousands of years the strait has functioned as a communication link that has united Ostrobothnia (\u00d6sterbotten) and V\u00e4sterbotten. Finland was also a part of the Swedish Empire until 1809. Between the 12th<\/sup> and 15th<\/sup> centuries, the northern parts of the Kingdom of Sweden were governed from the Korsholm Castle in Ostrobothnia.<\/p>\n The people living on the islands of Bj\u00f6rk\u00f6 on the Finnish side and Holm\u00f6n on the Swedish side have transported mail and passengers by boat over the Kvarken Strait for centuries, thus forming a predecessor for the modern-day Kvarken traffic and cooperation. A map from 1539 by Olaus Magnus shows how the Kvarken was crossed over the ice during wintertime.<\/p>\n The first steamships began operating in the Gulf of Bothnia and Kvarken Strait in the 1830\u2019s. The traffic became more regular in the first half of the 20th<\/sup> century. The first car ferry began operating in the Kvarken Strait in\u00a01958, and there has been regular year-round traffic since\u00a01972.<\/p>\n The Kvarken Council was founded in\u00a01972 during the first Kvarken Conference in Vaasa, Finland, at the initiative of the Nordic friendship and cooperation\u00a0associations Pohjola-Norden in Finland and F\u00f6reningen Norden in Sweden.\u00a0The first years were dedicated to the formation of the organization and the anchoring of the cooperation with municipalities, authorities, and organizations.<\/p>\n In\u00a01979, the Kvarken Council became a part of the official Nordic border-regional cooperation, with financial support from the Nordic Council of Ministers and its Nordic Senior Official\u2019s Committee for Regional Policy (N\u00c4RP).<\/p>\n The Kvarken Council\u2019s operations was administered by a non-profit association since\u00a02008. The Council became reorganized into a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) in the beginning of\u00a02021. The Finnish and Swedish governments approved the establishment of this new form of cooperation in November\u00a02020.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding_tablet=”||30px||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.kvarken.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/historisk_karta_kvarkenregionen.jpg” alt=”Historical map over the region” title_text=”historisk_karta_kvarkenregionen” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text disabled_on=”off|off|off” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Map: Olaus Magnus, Carta Marina Scandinavia, 1539 (excerpt)<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”|300|||||||” header_font_size=”54px” header_2_font=”|300|||||||” header_2_font_size=”54px” header_2_font_size_tablet=”42px” header_2_font_size_phone=”” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|300|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The Beginning The first steamboat to cross the Kvarken was the Swedish steamer Norrland, <\/em>which began operating in the region in\u00a01837 and did several trips between Ume\u00e5 and Vaasa in the following years. Norrland<\/em> was followed by other ships that carried out more or less regular traffic between cities on both sides of the Kvarken. After the First World War, a Swedish company started regular traffic during the summer months from Vaasa to Ume\u00e5 with the steamer Turisten<\/em>. However, this activity ceased at the Second World War\u2019s outbreak.<\/p>\n A small steamer called P\u00f6rt\u00f6<\/em> began operating between Vaasa and Ume\u00e5 in\u00a01947. The steamer was bought in\u00a01948 by the newly-founded shipping company Varustamo Oy Vaasa\u2013Uumaja, which continued running the route after renaming the ship Turisten<\/em>. Turisten<\/em> was followed by a couple of other small steamers, Korsholm<\/em> and Korsholm\u00a0II<\/em>.<\/p>\n Other shipping companies also operated in the Kvarken Strait at the same time: Wasa Line with Wasa<\/em> and Sveabolaget with Ragne<\/em>, among other ships, running a line from Stockholm and Sundsvall to Vaasa. Traffic increased throughout the years, and the first ship to transport cars between Vaasa and Ume\u00e5 began operating in\u00a01958. This was the \u201ccar-ferry\u201d Korsholm\u00a0III<\/em>, and transports were increased the following year with \u00d6rnen<\/em>, which operated between Vaasa and \u00d6rnsk\u00f6ldsvik.<\/p>\n Less than 20,000\u00a0passengers travelled annually across the Kvarken in the 1950\u2019s. In the 1960\u2019s, this figure rose to circa 30,000 in the beginning of the decade and to circa 80,000 in\u00a01965.<\/p>\n Ships operated also from Kokkola to Skellefte\u00e5 in the early 1960\u2019s. This line was run by Rederi Ab Bottenviken shipping company with Bothnia<\/em> and later by Rauanheimo shipping company with Coccolita<\/em> and Oulutar<\/em>.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|300|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The first actual car-ferry, Wasa Express<\/em>, began operating the route between Vaasa and Ume\u00e5 in\u00a01964. It was complemented by other similar ferries: Botnia Express<\/em>, Polar Express,<\/em> and Fenno Express<\/em>. The winter of\u00a01972 was the first winter when a ferry managed to travel between Vaasa and Ume\u00e5, marking the beginning of year-round maritime traffic in the region. This ferry was Scania Express<\/em>. Traffic was also established between Vaasa and Sundsvall and between Sundsvall and Pori, although the latter connection was short-lived. Jakob Lines shipping company began a line between Jakobstad and Skellefte\u00e5, and also later from Kokkola, in\u00a01969. The company had one ferry, Nordek,<\/em> and two passenger ships, Bore Nord<\/em> and Borea<\/em>.<\/p>\n Car traffic and tourism increased in the 1970\u2019s, and larger ferries were needed: the new Wasa Express<\/em> and Botnia Express<\/em>. Ferries continued to grow in size in the 1980\u2019s: Wasa Star<\/em>, Fennia<\/em>, Sally Express<\/em>, among others. Wasa King<\/em>, Wasa Queen<\/em> and Silja Festival <\/em>entered the line in the 1990\u2019s.<\/p>\n Traffic in the Kvarken increased from around 50,000\u00a0passengers in the early 1960\u2019s to 400,000\u2013650,000\u00a0passengers in the 1970\u2019s. This number grew to 600,000\u20131,150,000\u00a0passengers during the 1980\u2019s.<\/p>\n Over one million passengers crossed the Kvarken in the early 1990\u2019s, but this figure sank to circa 800,000 during the following years and continued to decrease drastically to 500,000 in\u00a01998 and 300,000 in\u00a01999.<\/p>\n The shipping company Varustamo Oy Vaasa\u2013Uumaja changed owners and names several times during this period. The owners included Enso\u2013Gutzeit, Rederi Ab Sally, and EffJohn\/Silja Line and they operated under the names Vaasanlaivat\u2013Vasab\u00e5tarna, Wasa Line, and eventually Silja Line. A route also ran between Kaskinen and G\u00e4vle in the 1980\u2019s. It was initially operated by Folkline with the ferry Folkliner <\/em>and later by KG-Line with Scandinavia. <\/em>Traffic on this route ceased in\u00a01989. KG-Line\u2019s Scandinavia<\/em> ran a short time also between Vaasa and Ume\u00e5 in competition with Vaasanlaivat\u2013Vasab\u00e5tarna. However, Vaasanlaivat\u2013Vasab\u00e5tarna later purchased the ferry and renamed it Fenno Star<\/em>.<\/p>\n Several new traffic concepts with ferries and catamarans were proposed in the late 1990\u2019s. However, none of these were carried out.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”|300|||||||” header_font_size=”54px” header_2_font=”|300|||||||” header_2_font_size=”54px” header_2_font_size_tablet=”42px” header_2_font_size_phone=”” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|300|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Tax-free sales aboard ships in the Kvarken Strait were abolished in June\u00a01999, whereafter the profitability of operating in the strait seriously deteriorated. Traffic across the Kvarken had been one of the most profitable lines in the early 1990\u2019s. However, in\u00a02000, Silja Line announced its decision to cease operating in the Kvarken due to unprofitability. Kvarken traffic had been sustained with social support since September\u00a01999.<\/p>\n Passenger traffic was revived in May 2001 by the shipping companies RG\u00a0Line with Casino Express <\/em>(formerly Silja Line\u2019s Fennia<\/em>) and Botnia Link with Transparaden<\/em>. Botnia Link had previously shipped freight between Vaasa and H\u00e4rn\u00f6sand since\u00a02000 and between Vaasa and Ume\u00e5 since\u00a02001. After Botnia Link ceased operating the route in November\u00a02002, only RG\u00a0Line remained.<\/p>\n RG\u00a0Line replaced Casino Express<\/em> with RG1<\/em> in the summer\u00a02005.<\/p>\n The shipping company declared bankruptcy in late\u00a02011. After this, passenger and freight transports were temporarily operated by the company\u2019s bankruptcy estate.<\/p>\n In\u00a02012, the city of Vaasa and municipality of Ume\u00e5 decided to establish a joint shipping company, NLC Ferry, to take over traffic in the Kvarken. The newly-founded company bought a ferry, MS Wasa Express<\/em>, which had already previously operated in the route between Vaasa to Ume\u00e5. The new ferry arrived in Vaasa in November\u00a02012 and underwent renovations. NLC Ferry took over traffic in the Kvarken on January\u00a01st<\/sup>, 2013. The company now operates under the name Wasaline.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.kvarken.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Wasaline-2019-07-1030×686-1.jpg” alt=”The ferry Wasaline trafficing kvarken” title_text=”Wasaline-2019-07-1030×686″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|on|on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” disabled=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Photo: The ferry Wasaline trafficing between Vaasa-Ume\u00e5<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”|300|||||||” header_font_size=”54px” header_2_font=”|300|||||||” header_2_font_size=”54px” header_2_font_size_tablet=”42px” header_2_font_size_phone=”” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|300|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Wasaline will launch a completely new ship, m\/s Aurora Botnia<\/em>, to operate between Vaasa and Ume\u00e5 in the beginning of May\u00a02021. The commission of this new ferry was the result of intensive work to develop a new traffic concept in the Kvarken region. Thanks to financing via the EU\u2019s \u201cMotorways of the Sea\u201d programme, the Kvarken region and its main stakeholders \u2013 the city of Vaasa, municipality of Ume\u00e5, the Kvarken Council, and the shipping company NLC Ferry \u2013 produced a new concept in the \u201cMidway Alignment of the Bothnian Corridor\u201d project, with the new ferry as the most important measure. The city of Vaasa and municipality of Ume\u00e5 founded a separate company, Kvarken Link Ltd, for the procurement of this new ferry. The company signed a construction agreement for the new ferry with Rauma Marine Constructions in March\u00a02019. M\/s Aurora Botnia<\/em> was floated out on September\u00a011th<\/sup>,2020. The ferry began operating between Vaasa and Ume\u00e5 in August 2021.<\/p>\nHistory of Maritime Traffic in the Region<\/h2>\n
Maritime Traffic Across the Kvarken<\/h2>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\nFerries and Winter Traffic<\/h2>\n
After tax free<\/h2>\n
The creation of a joint shipping company saved the ferry traffic<\/h3>\n
A new era<\/h2>\n