Helsinki-Tallinn ferry traffic at record high
Over 70 percent of passenger traffic at the Port of Helsinki during the first six months of the year was on the route to and from the Estonian capital Tallinn. July passenger figures hit a new all-time high of more than 950,000.
Ferry capacity on primary departures was in full use during July and ship lines operating on the route say that overall, they are near the upper limit of the number of passengers they can serve.
The largest number of passengers was carried by ships of the Tallink Silja Line, 550,000 during the month of July.
"We added departures to our fast connection services for the summer. Demand has been high during the whole of the summer," says the company's deputy managing director, Pasi Näkki.
July was a good month for the Eckerö Line, as well.
"The first week of July was a bit behind last year, otherwise it's been as busy," CEO Irja Hanelius told Yle.
According to Viking Lines Communications Chief Johanna Boijer-Svahnström, July was a busy month.
"Last year we had the highest figures ever. This year the number of passengers has been almost as high."
Port capacity stretched
Seventy-one percent of the volume of passengers handled by the Port of Helsinki during the first half of the year travelled on the Helsinki-Tallinn route. Further growth could possibly be dampened by a lack of space at dockside.
"It is at close to maximum capacity. At some point the limits of the infrastructure will be met," notes Tallink Silja's Pasi Näkki.
In addition to Tallink Silja, Eckerö Line and Viking Line, Linda Line also operates scheduled traffic between the Finnish and Estonian capitals.
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