About — Veyla

The city

Kalvora is a city of five islands in the Osk Sea (Oskasel), gathered around a sheltered bay. Kaltarra (Stone Island), the largest, carries the old town on its stone headland, the harbour in its lee and a long east coast of beaches and cliffs. Turitarra (North Island) is the university island; Maaltarra (South Island) holds the New Harbour and the airport. Two smaller islands guard the mouth of the bay: Luvartarra (Lighthouse Island) and Helkirn (Abbey Island), where the abbey bell still rings the hour.

The climate is temperate and maritime: mild wet winters, long bright summers and a spring fog the Kalvorans call selvinn, the sea-breath, which can hold the bay for a morning. Ferries sail through it by radar and have done so since 1962.

Kalvoran is spoken by most of the 312,000 residents; English has been co-official since 1951 and every station, line and notice carries both names. On Veyla, the Kalvoran name comes first, because that is what is painted on the sign.

Population: 312,000
Islands: five inhabited islands
Area: 96 km²
City charter: 1362
Bay: Onna Kalvora · Kalvora Bay
Sea: Oskasel · the Osk Sea
Languages: Kalvoran and English, co-official since the Language Act of 1951

The mark

The ring is the bay; the opening faces south-west, like the mouth of Kalvora Bay. The two terminals of the ring are Luvartarra (Lighthouse Island) and Helkirn (Abbey Island), the islands that guard the mouth, and the gold dot is the city on its stone — kal, the stone, and vora, the harbour, that gave Kalvora its name.

You will find the mark on every stop sign, every ferry funnel and every ticket.

History

1362
Kalvora receives its charter as a free harbour town. The stone headland that shelters the bay gives the town its name.
1889
The Kalvora Harbour Ferry Company begins a steam ferry between Ossavora (Old Harbour) and Turikaja (North Quay), the first timetabled public service in the islands.
1904
The Old Hill Funicular opens, replacing the 214 harbour steps as the way up to the old town. Its two original cars run until 1994.
1912
Electric trams run for the first time between Fennaplas (Market Square), Ossavora (Old Harbour) and the shipyards at Dokka.
1938
The North Bridge (Turilenka) opens across the northern strait. Trams reach Turitarra (North Island) eleven years later, in 1949.
1961
The South Bridge (Maallenka) opens, and trams reach Maalkaja (South Quay) and Nivevora (New Harbour).
1974
The Kalvora Transit Act brings the ferry company, the tramways and the funicular under one public authority. Veyla, from the Kalvoran for “to carry across”, becomes its public name.
1983
T1 is extended from Nivevora (New Harbour) to the new airport terminal at Vinnvora (Airport).
1998
The three concentric fare zones and the first Day Pass replace eleven separate ferry and tram fares.
2009
T2 (Istalinna · East Line) opens from Ossavora (Old Harbour) through Kastra (The Fort) and Lekhal (General Hospital) to Istaskarr (East Cliffs), the first new tram route in fifty years.
2016
The first Class 300 “Skarr” low-floor trams enter service. The last high-floor tram is withdrawn in 2022.
2021
Luvar, the first battery-electric ferry, enters service on F1 (Turifael · North Crossing).
2023
Veyla Tap: contactless payment with daily and weekly capping on every tram, ferry and funicular car.
2024
The last diesel ferry is retired. The whole fleet is charged from the bay-wind farm off Luvartarra (Lighthouse Island).

Figures

41.2 million: journeys in 2025
5: lines across three modes
25: stations and piers
43.1 km: of route
98.6%: of services on time in 2025
1,240: colleagues
100%: of ferries battery-electric since 2024
63%: of Kalvorans hold a Veyla Card

Fleet and depots

Fleet

46 trams. Kalvora Class 300 “Skarr”, five-section low-floor trams built 2016–2022, 210 passengers each.
6 ferries. Battery-electric double-enders Luvar, Onna, Selvinn, Alva, Kella and Tarra, 180 passengers and 12 bicycles each. Charged at Ossavora (Old Harbour) between sailings.
2 funicular cars. Ossa and Nive, built 1994 on the original 1904 alignment; 60 passengers each; counterbalanced on a 42 mm steel rope.
8 replacement buses. Used only during planned works and for the Kalvora Stadium event shuttle.

Depots

Ista Depot, behind Istaplas (East Square): trams
Dokka Yard at Ossavora (Old Harbour): ferry maintenance berth and shore charging
Ossahald (Old Hill) engine house: funicular

Governance

Kalvora Transit Authority is a public body established by the Kalvora Transit Act 1973 and accountable to Kalvora City Council. Public body register no. KV-PB-0074.

Chief Executive: Sunna Kellhald
Chair of the Board: Tomas Rivelsen
Director of Operations: Ero Maalvik
Head of Accessibility: Idun Marrok
Harbour Master (Ferries): Annik Luvarsen