FRS takes a majority stake in Bingen-Rüdesheimer

FRS said on 10 November 2026 that the Flensburg-based company is acquiring a majority stake in Bingen-Rüdesheimer Schifffahrtsgesellschaft mbH. For almost 100 years the company has connected Rheinhessen with the Rheingau, operating car ferries and four day-excursion ships. Car ferries, scheduled and themed cruises will continue as usual, all of the around 50 employees will stay on board, and managing director Oliver Pohl will continue to run the company. It is FRS’s fourth acquisition on the Rhine since December 2024, and its entry into passenger shipping on the river.

The car ferries Mary Roos and Rheintal shuttle daily between Bingen and Rüdesheim. Each can carry up to 42 cars and 600 passengers. The car ferry Stadt Rüdesheim serves as a back-up if one of the other two is unavailable. On scheduled services, four passenger ships with a combined capacity of 2,300 passengers call at twelve landing stages between Rüdesheim and St. Goarshausen. The company owns a further landing stage in Mainz. MS Rhenus and MS Vater Rhein are 60 metres long and accommodate 600 guests. They are joined by MS Ehrenfels and MS Bingen. Two historic ships from the company’s founding years, MS Regierungsrat Milatz and MS Stadt Bingen, complete the fleet.

Oliver Pohl will run the company together with Tim Kunstmann, managing director of FRS Europe Division. Kunstmann said: “With Bingen-Rüdesheimer, FRS is entering passenger shipping on the Rhine. Together with the well-established team, we will continue the scheduled and event cruises. We intend to expand and further develop the range of services.” FRS already operates the ferry connections between Ingelheim and Oestrich-Winkel and between St. Goarshausen and St. Goar, as well as the connection between Lorch and Niederheimbach.