A recently acquired ferry that has had a stubborn problem with its generator was expected to return to service Thursday night on the run between Nova Scotia and southwestern Newfoundland.

Marine Atlantic said the MV Highlanders, which has largely been out of service over the last two weeks, has been successfully repaired.

The Crown corporation had recruited outside expertise to help its staff fix problems with the generator.

Marine Atlantic this week scrubbed some of its crossings between North Sydney in Nova Scotia and Argentia, in eastern Newfoundland, to help clear a backlog on the Cabot Strait run.

Problems with the generator earlier this month struck Marine Atlantic during one of the year's busiest travel periods.

Marine Atlantic had offered vouchers to customers who were affected by the disruption.

The Highlanders, which was built five years ago, joined the Marine Atlantic fleet in 2011 with the MV Blue Puttees.

Vice-president Don Barnes told CBC News Wednesday that even newer ships can have problems that cannot be quickly fixed.

"There are so many systems and so much interplay between those systems that even with the best preventative maintenance programs, you're going to run into problems periodically," he said.