Thames Clippers riverboats restart services

Thames Clippers have resumed operations today following the closure of services over recent weeks.

A specialised timetable is in operation along with fare increases. They state: “Throughout the Pandemic we have unfortunately had no Government subsidy to support our services and were effectively tied up for six months over the past year, which seriously impacted our income.”

The largest fare increase appears to be Central & East Zone season tickets which are up 6.5 per cent. A single “central and east” ticket costs £8.20 single via contactless or their app (£10.70 without) and £18.20 return.

Future piers

An RB1 service between Woolwich and Battersea Power Station piers is running every 20-minutes during peak hours and weekends. Off peak sees services every 40 minutes between Woolwich and North Greenwich.

Further piers are planned along the Thames – though the number proposed is getting silly and seems more geared towards developer adverts than reality. I’ve probably missed some, but in a short stretch piers are planned (according to developers) at Charlton, Blackwall, west of the Greenwich Peninsula, Morden Wharf and Enderby Wharf. That’s in addition to those already in the area in a short stretch of river.

I can’t see all going ahead, as if they do services would simply be too slow with boats darting across the river back and forth. They’d spent more time heading between river banks akin to a Suez canal cargo ship rather than making much progress towards central London.

But anyway, developers will keep including them in plans as it appears to be a handy quick-fix thing to throw into applications.

Last year Thames Clippers’ owner AEG (who also own the o2) rebranded the service in a deal with Uber. The service is not operated by TfL.