Direct ferry from UK to Norway could be restored after 18 years

The connection has been out of service since September 2008

DFDS Ferry stopped operating the sea link in 2008 (Getty Images)

A direct ferry route from the UK to Norway could be revived by Newcastle council 18 years after it was cancelled.

Newcastle council leader Karen Kilgour said they would “explore all ways” to restore the popular journey in a meeting on 21 January.

The former ferry connection from Newcastle to Bergen has been out of service since 1 September 2008.

DFDS Ferry stopped operating the sea link from Tyneside to Norway’s second city due to rising oil prices.

Kilgour said: “We’d also love to see the return of the ferry, which stopped running in 2008. We know that lots of people in both cities have fond memories of travelling by sea to visit both Newcastle and Bergen.

“While at this point operators consider the route isn’t economically viable, we’ll continue to work with partners and our friends in Bergen to explore all ways of bringing it back.”

A panoramic view of Bergen (Getty Images)

The two cities have been formally twinned for nearly 58 years, with the relationship between them stretching back to the Second World War.

“Newcastle and Bergen share common roots in fishing, ship building, manufacturing, and offshore energy, and that shared history continues to be an important part of Newcastle’s civic identity, and I’m fully committed to sustaining and strengthening it,” said Kilgour.

Lib Dem councillor Greg Stone, an advocate for restoring the ferry route, replied: “Warm words are one thing, but we need to make it a reality.

“I know there are costs involved in doing that, but I hope the council will continue that work, and we double that work, and work potentially with the mayor to look at what we can do to restore the physical ferry link.”

The council leader added that she was “delighted” to see a Jet2 trial of direct flights between Newcastle and Bergen from April this year.