Om Farrahald · About us
A city of islands needs a transit authority that thinks like a harbourmaster
Kessamar is four islands in a cold, clear sea. For 130 years the job of Farrahald Kessamar has been to make the water between them disappear.
The city
Kessamar — “pearl sea” in Kessari — sits on a limestone archipelago 40 kilometres off the mainland coast. Osk, the largest island, is a long ridge with the old town climbing its northern slope and the university and beaches spread across the gentler south. Tehl, to the west, wraps around a sheltered bay of market gardens. Varrow, to the east, is quarry country, home to the airfield and to the Stone Bridge that carries Tehlferra across the narrows. Lindmoor is a lighthouse islet with forty houses, a seal colony and one ferry a day too few, if you ask the residents.
The climate is maritime and moody: mild winters, cool summers, and a westerly wind that decides whether the ferries sail. Around 212,000 people live across the four islands; on a summer weekend the ferries carry almost as many visitors.
The authority
Farrahald Kessamar is a public body owned by the City of Kessamar and governed by a board of nine: five councillors, two passenger representatives elected every three years, one staff representative and the harbourmaster, who sits by right. We run 5 lines across three modes, 22 stations and quays,21 of them step-free, and a fleet of 38 metro cars, 14 trams and 7 ferries.
We speak plainly, in both of the city's languages, and we publish what we promise: every timetable on this site is the one our crews are working to. When we fall short, the service notices say so.
- Founded
- 1894
- Unified
- 1962
- Journeys a year
- 61 million
- Staff
- 1,140
Drentid · History
From two steam launches to a battery-electric fleet
- 1894
The Kessamar Harbour Ferry Company begins the Morquen crossing between Tehl Kaid and Havedor with two steam launches, the Perla and the Osk.
- 1911
The first electric tram climbs from Havedor to Silsella. Within four years the line has closed into the loop still run today as Silferra.
- 1938
The Stone Bridge (Varrquen) opens, carrying a road and a single tram track to Varrow. The ferry to Varrow Kaid survives because islanders prefer it.
- 1962
Ferries, trams and the municipal bus depot merge into Farrahald Kessamar, a single public authority answerable to the city council.
- 1979
Oskferra, the Ridge Line, opens between Nordkaid and Sudgren after eleven years of tunnelling through the limestone spine of Osk. Extended to Morstrand in 1984.
- 2003
Tehlferra opens, the first fixed link to Tehl, running under the Tehl Sound and over a rebuilt Stone Bridge to the airfield.
- 2019
The last diesel ferry is withdrawn. The Morquen and Lindmor fleets are now battery-electric, charging at Havedor between sailings.
- 2026
Kessari and English are given equal standing on every sign, board and timetable across the network.
Kessari · The local language
Two names for every place
Kessari is spoken by about half the city and understood by nearly all of it. Since 2026 every station, line and notice on the network carries its Kessari name first and its English name beside it, in the same order, everywhere. A few roots unlock most of the map:
- farra
- journey, travel
- ferra
- line
- hald
- house, authority
- kaid
- quay
- midd
- centre, central
- sella
- square
- gren
- garden
- dor
- gate
- sil
- market
- dren
- old
- by
- town
- quen
- bridge
- mor
- sea
- lind
- light
- osk
- ridge
- varr
- stone
- tehl
- bay
- sona
- zone
- stad
- station, stop
- tid
- time
- kart
- map
- pris
- price
- regn
- reckoning
- kort
- card, pass
- enkel
- single
- dag / uke / maned
- day / week / month
- ut
- out, departing
- nu
- now
- nel / hir
- no / here
- god
- good
- tanek
- thank you
So Tehlferra is the line to Tehl, the bay island, Havedor the Harbour Gate, and Farrahald — literally the House of Journeys — is us.
Merket · The mark
The pearl and the swells
Our mark is a pearl resting above two swells, held in a circle: the city's name, the sea that shapes it and the ring of a lifebuoy. It was drawn in 1962 for the unified authority and simplified in 2026 so that it reads on a phone screen as clearly as it does on the bow of a ferry. At small sizes one swell is enough.
Alldor · Accessibility
Step-free across the islands
21 of our 22 stations and quays are step-free from the street to the platform or gangway, with level boarding on every metro train and ferry. Every Silferra tram is low-floor with a driver-operated ramp at the second door. Tactile paving, audible announcements in Kessari and English, and staffed help points are standard at every metro station.
Drenby · Old Town: lifts out of service
Until 30 November 2026
The two new lifts at Drenby are being installed. Until they open the station has stair access only. Step-free alternatives are Nordkaid · North Quay and Kessamar Midd · Kessamar Central, both one stop away on Oskferra M2; the Silferra tram also calls at Drenby at street level.
Travel assistance
- Ferries: crew assist with boarding on every sailing; wheelchair spaces on the main deck of every boat. Book nothing — just come to the quay.
- Metro: the gap between train and platform is under 5 cm at every station. Priority seats are marked in teal.
- Assistance dogs travel free and are welcome on every mode.
- Kessamar Access Card holders pay the reduced fare and may bring one companion free. Apply at Farrahald House with a doctor's letter; cards are issued within ten working days.
- Large-print and audio timetables are available on request from access@farrahald.ks or by calling +294 (0)40 555 0140.
Headquarters
Farrahald House
12 Kaidgade
Havedor, Kessamar
KM-1040
Telephone +294 (0)40 555 0140
hello@farrahald.ks
Press: press@farrahald.ks
Farrahald House stands on the Havedor quayside, two minutes from the Havedor metro entrance and the ferry gates. The public counter is open Monday to Friday 08:00–18:00, Saturday 09:00–14:00. Board papers, annual reports and the punctuality figures we publish each month are available at the counter on request.