Færge collision leaves Bornholm travelers stranded

Express 5, Bornholm’s largest high-speed ferry, struck a piling during departure from Rønne Harbour on Thursday morning, sustaining hull damage that will keep it docked for at least the rest of the day.

The incident was reported by DR, which cited Jesper Maack, communications director for Molslinjen, the operator of the Bornholm route. Maack said damage assessment is under way and that Express 5 will not resume service today.

To maintain limited service, Molslinjen will deploy its second high-speed ferry, Express 1, and the conventional ferry Povl Anker. Revised schedules for both directions—Rønne to Ystad and Ystad to Rønne—were published by Bornholmslinjen and are in effect through the evening.

Passengers attempting to board earlier were turned away after their scheduled departures were canceled. Kennet Hansen, traveling with a scooter club, said his group was told at short notice to expect an 11:00 departure but remained uncertain whether that would materialize. Hansen added that travelers had been instructed to rebook independently.

Molslinjen said the cause of the collision is not yet known, though strong wind gusts reported in the morning may have contributed.