Two Elderly Passengers Removed from IC26 at Tampere After Confrontation

Two elderly women travelling from Oulu to Helsinki were removed from IC26 at Tampere on Tuesday after refusing to move from the Extra Rento carriage, where they did not have valid tickets. One of the women reportedly slammed her fist on a table and shouted an insult at the conductor.

The incident followed the cancellation of the SP50 service, which forced many passengers to transfer to the later IC26, Tamperelainen reported. A witness said their party had been allowed into the Extra Rento carriage without extra charge because the train was crowded, but three older women in the same carriage refused the conductor's request to change seats.

The conductor offered equivalent seats on the replacement train and looked for other places for the women. They said heavy luggage and limited mobility prevented them from moving before Tampere. After one passenger struck the table and verbally provoked staff, a security guard escorted the pair off at Tampere.

The women disputed that account, telling the guard the conductor had insulted them, and they called the emergency centre. Police arrived on the platform, but the women ultimately left the train voluntarily while other passengers watched officers' arrival. The incident comes amid a recent debate in Tampere over inspectors' powers and how to handle ticketless passengers.