Moss–Horten Ferry
MF Bastø II in Moss
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| Waterway | Oslofjord |
|---|---|
| Transit type | Double-ended |
| Route | Norwegian National Highway 19 |
| Carries | Automobiles and passengers |
| Terminals |
Moss Horten |
| Operator | Bastø Fosen |
| Authority | Norwegian Public Roads Administration |
| Began operation | 1934 |
| System length | 10.5 kilometres (6.5 mi) |
| Travel time | 30 min |
| Headway | 30 min |
| No. of vessels | MF Bastø I MF Bastø II MF Bastø III |
| Daily ridership | 3720 (2008) |
| Daily vehicles | 4086 (2008) |
The Moss–Horten Ferry is an automobile ferry on Norwegian National Highway 19 that connects the counties of Østfold and Vestfold at the quays of Moss and Horten. The 10.5 kilometres (6.5 mi) crossing of Oslofjord is performed with three double-ended ferries operated by Bastø Fosen, making the crossing in 30 minutes, with departures twice an hour. In 2008 the line had a daily ridership of 3720 people and 4086 vehicles. It is the most trafficked car ferry line in Norway.
Ferry crossings in the outer Oslofjord have been documented back to 1582 when the notes of Bishop Jens Nilssøn mention it was common to travel over the fjord, with Jeløya as the east quay. In a letter dated 1712 King Frederick IV asked the governor of Borre to build a larger ferry able to hold 16 horses and 50 men. With the issue of the ferry privilege of 1752 it was required that the ferry hold six horses with riders, plus ferrymen. In 1784, decisions on the ticket prices were set at 40 shillings in summer and 60 in winter for a ferryman to row a boat with twelve men across. In 1857 the route was taken over by the authorities, and the eastern quay moved to Melløsbryggen in Moss. The opening of Østfoldbanen in 1879 and Vestfoldbanen in 1881 stimulated a more stable operation.
In 1884 Consul Richard Peterson started using the steamship Axel to cross the fjord, and a year later Bastø entered service, while Horten was bought as a reserve. In 1900 the company bought Bastø II. The concession was taken over by AS Alpha in 1910, who also took over the ships Bastø and Bastø II. AS Alpha was founded in Moss in 1892 to conduct steamship transport from Moss to Kristiania (Oslo). The first car carried across was in 1907 and belonged to Sam Eyde; it took half an hour to load it. After World War I cars were regularly transported across the fjord.
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