Ferries in real time: two sources and why some crossings are missing
The ferry appears on the map twice, from two sources with their own gaps. Here is how they fit together.
Ferries appear on Kartradar twice: as public transport with route, departure time and delay, and as ships with name, course and speed. These are two different sources, each with its own gaps. Here is how they fit together, and why some crossings are missing.
Two sources, same ferry
- As public transport, the ferry comes from Entur, where the county transport company submits its position together with the crossing it serves, for example "Mortavika – Arsvågen", and how late it is. The symbol is a turquoise ferry.
- As a ship, it comes from AIS, the radio system on which all larger vessels broadcast their identity, position, course and speed. That gives the ship's name, but nothing about route or timetable.
Tap the ferry in the public transport layer for crossing and delay. Tap the ship for name, speed and where it has been.
Which ferries are shown
On a Monday afternoon in October 2026 we counted ferries and fast boats with a position in the public transport layer from these companies:
| Company | Area | With a position | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skyss | Vestland | 45 | Halhjem – Våge |
| FRAM | Møre og Romsdal | 35 | Molde – Sekken |
| Reis Nordland | Nordland | 26 | Bognes – Lødingen |
| Svipper (Troms fylkestrafikk) | Troms | 15 | Tromsø – Finnsnes – Harstad |
| Snelandia | Finnmark | 15 | Øksfjord – Hasvik |
| Kolumbus | Rogaland | 11 | Mortavika – Arsvågen |
| AtB | Trøndelag | 9 | Trondheim – Vanvikan |
| Bastø Fosen | Oslofjord | 5 | Moss – Horten |
| AKT | Agder | 3 | Lyngør – Gjeving |
| Farte | Telemark | 2 | Brevik – Sandøya |
| Brakar | Buskerud | 1 | Svelvik – Verket |
Around 170 vessels in total. The number is lower in the evening and at night, when many crossings do not run.
Why some crossings are missing
- The company does not share positions. Ruter does not send positions for any of its services, including the boats in the Oslofjord, such as the Nesodden boats.
- The ferry is not linked to the crossing. If the ferry has no active trip, for example at the quay between departures or in reserve, it is not shown in the public transport layer.
- The equipment is not transmitting. As with buses, individual vessels may be missing if the equipment on board is down.
In all these cases the ferry is still shown as a ship, as long as it transmits AIS. Ferries in service always do. If you cannot find the ferry in the public transport layer, turn on the ship layer.
What the delay means on a ferry
The delay is, as for buses, the difference between the timetable and the company's updated estimate. On short crossings with frequent departures, a ferry can run "late" because it waits for a full queue of cars, and catch up on the next trip. A single number therefore says less than on a bus, but shows whether the crossing is behind right now. How the delay is calculated.
Ferry stops and departures
Zoom in and the ferry quays appear as turquoise map pins with a ferry. Tap one for the departure board from there: the ferry departures for the next 12 hours are at the top, with whether they are on time, and the buses that stop at the quay are below. How to read the departure board.