Historic 1908 steamship Tarjanne seeks new operator for Lake Näsijärvi services

Runoilijan tie, owner of the Tarjanne, is seeking a new operator to restart passenger services on Lake Näsijärvi for next summer. The public search is set to open in mid-November, and the company hopes to pick a partner before Christmas to guarantee service next season.

Chairman Riku Kemppinen told YLE that negotiations were held quietly this autumn with a handful of potential operators, both small and large, some from Pirkanmaa and others from farther afield, all Finnish.

Tarjanne runs between Mustalahti in Tampere and the towns of Ruovesi and Virrat. Built in 1908, it is the world’s oldest passenger steamship still operating on its original route. Operations are currently suspended because Tarjanne was operated under Hopealinjat, which sank in the autumn. Runoilijan tie, the ship’s owner, is exploring options, including possible cooperation with whoever takes over Hopealinjat’s activities. In October the Tampere city board’s corporate committee approved an offer on Hopealinjat’s shareholdings that would keep the company’s vessels and Viikinsaari under a single operator, though the bidder has not been announced.

The search follows the city’s decision this autumn to wind down Hopealinjat after years of losses and the subsequent talks about municipal solutions, and discussions have continued about transferring the ferries under municipal control as one of the options being considered.