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Since more than 125 years, Wyker Dampfschiffs-Reederei Föhr-Amrum GmbH (The Wyk Steam Ship Company Limited, W.D.R.) constitutes a vital part of daily life on the islands and holms off the coast of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Established as a shipping company by local interests back in 1885, W.D.R. operates two year-round commuter ferry services linking Dagebüll with Wyk (Föhr Island) and Wittdün (Amrum Island) as well as Schlüttsiel with Hallig Hooge, Hallig Langeneß and Wittdün. Both ferry services form a vital part of traffic infrastructure in the Nordfriesland Region and have lifeline function for its islands and holms. Moreover, they constitute an essential basis for the region's prospering tourism industry. On an annual basis, W.D.R. records roughly 1.8 million passengers, 275,000 private cars and 36,000 trucks carried on its ferry services.
Ferry operations form Wyker Dampfschiffs-Reederei's core business. Apart from that, the company operates one passenger excursion vessel, M/V "Rüm Hart", which is trading on day excursions from Wyk during summer. Last but not least, the company operates public transportation on the islands of Föhr and Amrum: A fleet of 8 modern busses and coaches carry approximately 885,000 passengers annually.
Wyker Dampfschiffs-Reederei employs a staff of approximately 180. It is a private-sector company which does (in contrast to many other European commuter service operators) not receive any public subsidies for its services. Largest single shareholder of W.D.R. is the City of Wyk/Föhr (holding 31% of the share capital) followed by AG Reederei Norden-Frisia, another German commuter ferry service operator, which controls 26%. The remaining share capital is spread among approximately 540 further shareholders, many of whom are individuals and families living on Föhr Island and Amrum Island. Through this shareholding structure, W.D.R. has a firm local basis as ferry operator and transportation company serving the Northern Frisian islands.
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