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London River Services

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This article is about the governmental body responsible for public transport services on the River Thames. For the organisation responsible for canals in London, see Canal and River Trust.

London River Services
LocaleLondon, England
WaterwayRiver Thames
Transit typeCommuter boats, ferries and tourist/leisure services
OwnerTransport for London
OperatorVarious boat companies
Began operation1999
No. of terminals25 (8 managed by TfL)
Websitehttp://www.tfl.gov.uk/river

London River Services Limited is a division of Transport for London (TfL), which manages passenger transport—leisure-oriented tourist services and commuter services—on the River Thames in London. It does not own or operate any boats itself, except those of the Woolwich Ferry, but licenses the services of operators.[1]

River service had been a common means of transport in London for centuries, but died off in the early 1900s, as transportation was enhanced (and river traffic somewhat blocked) with a proliferation of bridges and tunnels. With these numerous north–south crossings of the Thames, which is generally no more than 300m wide as it runs through central London, the revival of river boat services in London therefore mostly travel east or west along the Thames rather than across it; the only major cross-river ferry services are to be found further downstream where the river is wider, and there are far fewer bridge/tunnel crossings.

The decision to revive London's river service network moved forward in 1997 with the launch of "Thames", a £21-million project (£48 million today) to regenerate the River Thames and create new passenger transport services on the Thames. While the service is not as extensive as those of Hong Kong or Sydney, it has been growing: in 2007, more than 700,000 commuters travelled by river on Thames Clippers services, one of the operators on the system;[2] in 2013 the Thames Clippers service had grown to 3.3 million, as it had become more integrated into the tube and bus ticketing network;[3] in 2014 their figure was 3.8 million;[3] in 2015 it was forecasted that their ridership would increase to 4.3 million by 2016, supported by the addition of new Clipper boats.[3] By 2018, there were 21 different operators carrying daily commuter, leisure, charter, or sightseeing passengers to various combinations of the 33 piers on the system.

History

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18th-century view of river traffic in Canaletto's painting The Thames from Somerset House Terrace towards the City (1751)

Before the construction of London's bridges and the Underground, the River Thames had served as a major thoroughfare for centuries. Attempts to regulate the transport of passengers and goods began in 1197, when King Richard I sold the Crown's rights over the Thames to the City of London Corporation, which then attempted to license boats on the river. In 1510 Henry VIII granted a licence to watermen that gave exclusive rights to carry passengers on the river,[4] and in 1555 an Act of Parliament set up the Company of Watermen and Lightermen to control traffic on the Thames.

For centuries the only bridge across the Thames was London Bridge. Crossing the river by wherry (small wooden rowing boat) was a common mode of transport.[5]

19th century

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Steamers on the Thames in 1841

Passenger steamboats were introduced in 1815 and the use of the river as a means of public transport increased greatly. River services ran from Gravesend, Margate and Ramsgate via Greenwich and Woolwich into central London. By the mid-1850s about 15,000 people per day travelled to work on steamboat services – twice the number of passengers on the newly emerging railways.[6] With increased congestion on the river, collisions and other accidents became correspondingly more frequent, most notably with the Princess Alice disaster at Woolwich in 1878.[7]

While the introduction of large steamboats and bridge construction had taken business from the Thames watermen, the growth of the railways took passengers away from the steamboat services and the use of the river for public transport began a steady decline. River service companies struggled financially, and in 1876 the five main boat companies merged to form the London Steamboat Company. The company ran a half-hourly service from Chelsea to Greenwich for eight years until it went bankrupt in 1884. Nevertheless, river services continued under different management into the next century. Many of the Thames paddle steamers around this time were built by the Thames Ironworks at Bow Creek.[8]

20th century

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Paddle-steamer Pepys used in the 1905-1907 service

In 1905 the London County Council (LCC) launched its own public river transport service to complement its new tram network, acquiring piers and investing in a large fleet of 30 paddle-steamers.[9] Frequent services operated from Hammersmith to Greenwich. The LCC river service was not a success; in the first year it ran up debts of £30,000. It was shut down in 1907 after only two years' service.[10][11]

Numerous proposals for "river bus" services were considered throughout the 20th century, although the few that were realised were cancelled after a short time in service.[12] During World War II, from 13 September 1940 to 2 November 1940, a temporary wartime river bus service was introduced, running every 20 minutes, between Westminster and Woolwich using converted pleasure cruisers provided by the Port of London Authority to replace train, tram and trolleybus services which were disrupted by the bombing of the Blitz. London Transport bus inspectors and conductors issued and checked the tickets on board the boats.[13][14]

With the move of the Port of London downstream in the 1960s, regular river transport was limited to a few sightseeing boats.

Revival of passenger services

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In 1997 Secretary of State for Transport John Prescott launched Thames 2000, a £21-million project to regenerate the River Thames in time for the Millennium Celebrations and boost new passenger transport services on the Thames.[15] The centrepiece of these celebrations was to be the Millennium Dome, but there was also a plan to provide a longer-term legacy of public transport boat services and piers on the river.

River traffic around Waterloo Pier in 2008

The Cross-River Partnership, a consortium of local authorities, private sector organisations and voluntary bodies, recommended the creation of a public body to co-ordinate and promote river services. This agency, provisionally titled the Thames Piers Agency, would integrate boat services into other modes of public transport, take control of Thames piers from the Port of London Authority, and commission the construction of new piers.[16]

The result was the formation in 1999 of London River Services (LRS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London.

Mayor Ken Livingstone's Transport Strategy for London 2005 stated that: "The safe use of the Thames for passenger and freight services should be developed. Passenger services will be encouraged, particularly services that relate to its cultural and architectural excellence and tourism. Use of London's other navigable waterways for freight, consistent with their roles for leisure use and as ecosystems, will be encouraged."[17]

21st century

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Greenwich Pier with TfL branding
London City Airport in the Royal Docks, next to the Thames

Today, LRS is responsible for integrating river transport with the rest of the public transport network, such as the Tube and buses. It promotes boat services under the London River Services brand, issuing timetables and river maps.

LRS is also responsible for directly managing eight piers on the river, and invested in LRS-branded signage and passenger information.

LRS supports the Thames Clipper commuter service financially and increased the peak service frequency to a boat every 15 minutes.[16] In April 2009 the signing of a "River Concordat" by London's pier owners, boat operators, borough councils and Transport for London was announced, committing the various parties to improving ticketing, piers and passenger information, and to closer integration into the transport network.[18]

London River Services is not responsible for maintaining the river itself; the Port of London Authority takes care of river traffic control, security, navigational safety (including buoys, beacons, bridge lights and channel surveys),[19] and the RNLI operates Thames lifeboat services.

Branding

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The public presentation of London River Services is visually associated with existing TfL design standards, using identical graphic design elements to those used on London Underground publicity, signage and other elements, drawing on the design heritage of Frank Pick.

The London River Services brand is a sub-brand of TfL which uses the familiar Tube roundel, originally devised for London Underground and now established as the corporate branding for all TfL services. The River Services roundel is a dark blue (Pantone 072) bar on pale blue (Pantone 299) circle.

The corporate signage, stationery and literature of TfL services, including LRS, use the New Johnston typeface.[20]

LRS publishes diagrammatic river maps in the style of Harry Beck's iconic Tube map. Tube maps published by TfL since 2000 denote river interchange stations with a boat symbol.

Services

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The service patterns advertised by TfL can vary according to season. They are divided into three main types:[21]

River Bus commuter services

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A commuter boat operated by Uber Boat by Thames Clippers on the River Thames

Numbered River Bus services (abbreviated to RB) run to a timetable through the day with more frequent services during peak rush hour times. Most services run seven days a week, although some do not operate at weekends. Many operators offer discounted fares to Travelcard holders. The main lines of operation are:

Service Route Notes
RB1 Battersea Power Station Pier/Westminster Pier ↔ North Greenwich Pier/Barking Riverside Pier [22]
RB2 Putney Pier ↔ North Greenwich Pier [22]
RB6 Putney Pier ↔ Canary Wharf Pier [22]

The catamaran-hulled vessels have on-board coffee bars, airline-style seating, are wheelchair-accessible and have bicycle racks.

Ferry services

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The Woolwich vehicle & passenger ferry

In central London, the River Thames is narrow enough to allow it to be crossed by many bridges; further downstream however, the river widens and there are fewer bridge crossings. Two ferry services are still in operation:

Service Route Notes
RB4 Canary Wharf - Rotherhithe Ferry Canary Wharf Pier ↔ Doubletree Docklands Nelson Dock Pier Serves the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Rotherhithe. Boats operate roughly every 10 minutes, and can be used both by guests of the hotel as well as by passengers not staying at the hotel.[22]
Woolwich Ferry Woolwich ↔ North Woolwich Free ferry service for vehicles and foot passengers, close to King George V DLR station. For vehicles, the service links the London ring roads, the North and South Circular roads, at their eastern ends.

Two other ferry services operate upstream in west London: Hammerton's Ferry and the Hampton Ferry. These services are independent of London River Services as they do not serve LRS-managed piers.

Leisure services

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A tourist boat operated by Bateaux London Catamaran Cruisers on the River Thames

Leisure boats are aimed mainly at the tourist market; as they do not usually provide rush hour services, they are not normally suitable for commuting. Some boat companies run regular scheduled services, others may run twice daily, only on certain days of the week, or only during certain months of the year. Boats may also be chartered for private hire. Destinations are often tourist attractions such as the Tate Galleries or Hampton Court Palace.

  • Bankside – Waterloo – Millbank (Tate to Tate)
  • Festival Pier – High Speed RIB Tours (Operated By Rib Tours London)
  • London Eye River Cruise
  • Multilingual Circular Cruise
  • Greenwich Pier Sunday Evening Thames Sightseeing Cruise (Campion Launches)
  • MV Balmoral and Paddle Steamer Waverley Cruises from Tower Pier
  • Richmond – Kingston – Hampton Court
  • Tilbury/Gravesend – Greenwich
  • Westminster – Kew – Richmond – Hampton Court
  • Westminster – St Katharine's Hop-on, Hop-off circular service
  • Westminster – Waterloo – Tower – Greenwich
  • Westminster Pier – High Speed RIB Tours (Operated By Thames Jet)
  • Westminster Pier – Tower Bridge Quay – Greenwich Pier – Thames Flood Barrier (Barrier Gardens Pier) (Operated by Thames River Services)

Operators

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Scheduled tourist and commuter services on the river are operated by a number of private companies, including:[21]

Operator Services External link
Bateaux London Dining cruises www.bateauxlondon.com
City Cruises Tourist / sightseeing www.citycruises.com
Crown River Cruises Tourist / sightseeing www.crownrivercruise.co.uk
London Eye River Cruise Tourist / sightseeing www.londoneye.com/tickets-and-prices/general-tickets/river-cruise
Waverley Excursions Tourist / sightseeing www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk
Uber Boat by Thames Clippers Commuter service www.thamesclippers.com
Thames River Sightseeing Tourist / sightseeing www.thamesriversightseeing.com
Turk Launches Tourist / sightseeing www.turks.co.uk
Viscount Cruises (Campion Launches) Tourist / sightseeing www.viscountcruises.com
Westminster Passenger Services Association (Thames River Boats) Tourist / sightseeing www.thamesriverboats.co.uk

Charter services, usually catering for large parties, are also available from these and other operators.

Operator Charter services External link
Capital Pleasure Boats Private charters [1]
Colliers Launches Private charters www.collierslaunches.co.uk
Crown River Cruises Private charters www.crownrivercruise.co.uk
Livett's Launches Private charters [2]
London Party Boats Private charters www.londonpartyboats.co.uk
Maynard Launches (Cockney Sparrow) Private charters www.cockneysparrow.co.uk
Thames Leisure Tourist / sightseeing www.thamesleisure.co.uk
Thames Party Boats Private charters https://www.thamespartyboats.co.uk/
Viscount Cruises (Campion Launches) Private charters www.viscountcruises.com

Piers

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Map
LRS Map of Thames piers in London = TfL piers = Other operators' piers

London River Services lists 24 piers on the River Thames in its publications, of which 8 are managed directly by LRS.

Millennium Piers

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Millbank Millennium Pier – architect: Steve Chilton

In 2000, five new piers were opened with funding from the Millennium Commission under its Thames 2000 project, with a grant of £7,177,000:[23]

The new piers were provided to improve previously neglected travel connections on the Thames and promote the river as an alternative means of public transport.[24]

List of piers

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Scheduled tourist and commuter services use the following piers, although no single service serves all the piers listed. The piers are listed in order going downstream:[25]

# Pier Services Nearest tube/train Destinations Notes
1 Hampton Court Pier [3] National Rail Hampton Court Hampton Court Palace Managed by Turk Launches Ltd.
2 Hampton Court Landing Stage Westminster Passenger Services Association (Thames River Boats) National Rail Hampton Court Richmond upon Thames Owned & Operated by Thames River Boats incorporating Colliers Launches & Maynard Launches.[26]
3 Kingston (Town End Pier) [4] Kingston upon Thames Managed by Turk Launches Ltd. Head office at this pier
4 Kingston (Turks Pier) [5] National Rail Kingston Kingston upon Thames Managed by Turk Launches Ltd.
5 Hammertons Landing Stage London Underground London Overground National Rail Richmond Richmond upon Thames
Ham House 		Hammerton's Ferry,
6 Richmond Landing Stage Westminster Passenger Services Association (Thames River Boats) London Underground London Overground National Rail Richmond Richmond upon Thames Owned & Operated by Thames River Boats incorporating Colliers Launches & Maynard Launches.[26]
7 Richmond (St. Helena Pier) [6] London Underground London Overground National Rail Richmond Richmond upon Thames Managed operated by Turk Launches Ltd.
8 Kew Pier Westminster Passenger Services Association (Thames River Boats) London Underground London Overground Kew Gardens
National Rail Kew Bridge 		Kew Gardens
London Museum of Water & Steam 		Owned & Operated by Thames River Boats incorporating Colliers Launches & Maynard Launches.[26]
9 Putney Pier Thames Clippers RB6 London Underground Putney Bridge
National Rail Putney 		Fulham
Putney 		Managed by Livett's Launches [7]
10 Wandsworth Riverside Quarter Pier Thames Clippers RB6 National Rail Wandsworth Town Wandsworth
11 Chelsea Harbour Pier Thames Clippers RB6 London OvergroundNational Rail Imperial Wharf Chelsea Harbour, Sands End
12 Cadogan Pier Thames Clippers RB6 Chelsea
13 Battersea Power Station Pier Thames Clippers RB1, RB2, RB6 London Underground Battersea Power Station Battersea Power Station
14 Vauxhall (St George Wharf) Pier Thames Clippers RB1, RB2, RB6 London Underground Vauxhall
National Rail Vauxhall 		Managed by Consort
15 Millbank Millennium Pier Thames Clippers RB1, RB2, RB6 London Underground Pimlico Tate Britain art gallery Managed by TfL
16 Westminster Pier City Cruises
Thames Clippers RB1, RB2 and RB6
Westminster Passenger Services Association (Thames River Boats)
Thames River Sightseeing 		London Underground Westminster Palace of Westminster
Westminster Abbey 		Managed by TfL
17 London Eye Pier (Waterloo Millennium Pier) Thames Clippers RB1 London Underground National Rail Waterloo
National Rail Waterloo East 		London Eye
South Bank arts precinct 		Managed by London Eye
18 Embankment Pier Thames Clippers RB1, RB2 and RB6
Thames River Sightseeing 		London Underground Embankment
London Underground National Rail Charing Cross 		London Eye
South Bank arts precinct
Trafalgar Square 		Managed by TfL
19 Festival Pier Thames River Sightseeing London Underground Embankment
National Rail London Underground Waterloo 		London Eye
South Bank arts precinct 		Managed by TfL
20 Savoy Pier London Underground Embankment
National Rail Charing Cross 		Savoy Hotel
Covent Garden
21 Tower Lifeboat Station [8] Only for use by RNLI lifeboats; not open to the public.
22 Blackfriars Pier Thames Clippers RB1 and RB6 London Underground National Rail Blackfriars St Paul's Cathedral
Tate Modern art gallery 		Managed by TfL
23 Bankside Pier Thames Clippers RB1, RB2 and RB6
Thames River Sightseeing 		London Underground National Rail Blackfriars Shakespeare's Globe
Tate Modern art gallery 		Managed by TfL
24 London Bridge City Pier Thames Clippers RB1, RB2 and RB6 London Underground National Rail London Bridge HMS Belfast
Southwark Cathedral
25 Tower Pier Thames Clippers RB1, RB2 and RB6 London Underground Tower Hill
Docklands Light Railway Tower Gateway
National Rail Fenchurch Street 		Tower of London
Tower Bridge 		Managed by TfL
26 Tower Bridge Quay Thames River Sightseeing London Underground Tower Hill
Docklands Light Railway Tower Gateway 		St Katharine Docks
Tower of London
Tower Bridge
27 Doubletree Docklands Pier Thames Clippers RB4 – Rotherhithe Canary Wharf – Rotherhithe Ferry only
28 Canary Wharf Pier Thames Clippers RB1, RB2, RB4 and RB6 Docklands Light Railway Canary Wharf
London Underground Canary Wharf
Elizabeth Line Canary Wharf 		Canary Wharf financial district
29 Greenland (Surrey Quays) Pier Thames Clippers RB1 London Overground Surrey Quays Greenland Dock
30 Masthouse Terrace Pier Thames Clippers RB1 Docklands Light Railway Island Gardens Isle of Dogs
31 Greenwich Pier City Cruises
Thames Clippers RB1 and RB2
Thames River Sightseeing
Viscount Cruises (Campion Launches) 		Docklands Light Railway Cutty Sark
National Rail Docklands Light Railway Greenwich 		Greenwich
Cutty Sark
National Maritime Museum 		Managed by TfL
32 North Greenwich Pier (QEII Pier) Thames Clippers RB1 and RB2 London Underground North Greenwich The O2 Arena
33 Barrier Gardens Pier Thames River Sightseeing (Pre-Booking Required) National Rail Woolwich Dockyard Thames Barrier Summer only
34 Royal Wharf Pier Thames Clippers RB1 Docklands Light Railway Pontoon Dock
Docklands Light Railway West Silvertown 		Royal Wharf Opened 2019[27][28]
35 Woolwich (Royal Arsenal) Pier Thames Clippers RB1
Woolwich Ferry 		National Rail Woolwich Dockyard
National Rail Docklands Light Railway Woolwich Arsenal 		Woolwich
South Circular
36 North Woolwich Pier Woolwich Ferry Docklands Light Railway King George V Woolwich
North Circular
London City Airport
37 Barking Riverside Pier Thames Clippers RB1 London Overground Barking Riverside Barking Riverside Opened April 2022

Fares and ticketing

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Different ticket kiosks for each boat operator

Unlike the underground and bus networks, boat operators have their own separate ticketing arrangements and charge separate fares which are generally higher than corresponding journeys by tube or bus. The only exception is the Woolwich Ferry, which is free of charge.

Oyster card is valid on most Thames Clipper services for single fares, offering a ten percent discount. Most boat operators offer discounts to Travelcard holders, as well as to Freedom Pass holders and students.

Ticket sales at piers are managed independently by the operators, and tickets are sold at separate kiosks with no facility for cross-ticketing. Many piers have a line of several sales desks, each owned by a different boat firm. Single tickets can often be bought on board the boat, but this is down to individual operator arrangements.

Some operators offer their own season tickets and carnets of single tickets. Thames Clipper, for example, offer a one-day Roamer ticket which allows multiple journeys within off-peak hours.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Transport for London. "About London River Services". Retrieved 1 April 2008.
  2. ^ London, Thamesclippers. "ThamesClippers: Surf the Thames!". Archived from the original on 13 October 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ a b c "London celebrates arrival of two new commuter boats after 15,000-mile journey from Australia". MBNA Thames Clippers. 19 October 2015. Archived from the original on 9 October 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  4. ^ Ewens, Graeme (16 July 2003). "Making waves" – via The Guardian.
  5. ^ London Transport Museum (2008). "Wherry model". Online Museum. Archived from the original on 8 November 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
  6. ^ London Transport Museum (2008). "19th century London – On the water". Online Museum. Archived from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
  7. ^ London Transport Museum (2008). "19th century London – River traffic declines". Online Museum. Archived from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
  8. ^ Stephen Croad (2003), Liquid History – the Thames through Time, English Heritage, ISBN 0-7134-8834-4
  9. ^ LCC steamers were supplied by a number of different shipbuilders: Thames Ironworks, the Glasgow shipbuilders Napier & Miller, J I Thornycroft of Southampton and Rennie of Greenwich – "Paddle Steamer Resources – London County Council". Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2008.
  10. ^ Exploring 20th Century London (2004). "A London County Council paddle steamboat 'The Rennie' at Lambeth Pier". Exploring 20th Century London. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ London Transport Museum (2005). "Paddle steamer "King Alfred", built 1905". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
  12. ^ Patrick McGowan (12 October 2000). "Ideas that don't go down the river". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2008. One thing links every Thames transport scheme in nearly a century: failure.
  13. ^ Exploring 20th Century London (1998). "A conductor selling tickets on a Thames river bus". Exploring 20th Century London. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ Day, John (1973). The Story of the London Bus. London Transport Executive. pp. 90–91. ISBN 0-85329-037-7.
  15. ^ "Hansard". Hansard, 8 April 1998 : Column 796. 8 April 1998. Retrieved 30 March 2008. We expect a million people to travel by boat from central London. There will be new piers and new river services and there will also be a certain number of park-and-ride facilities.
  16. ^ a b Transport for London. "About London River Services". Retrieved 6 April 2008.
  17. ^ "Mayor of London – Transport Strategy – River". Archived from the original on 1 March 2007.
  18. ^ "Making the Thames an easier option". Mayor of London/GLA. 6 April 2009. Archived from the original on 9 April 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
  19. ^ Port of London Authority (2008). "About the PLA – Safety". Official website. Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2008.
  20. ^ Transport for London (January 2009). "London River Services – Basic elements standard, Issue 2". Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  21. ^ a b "River Timetable". Transport for London. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
  22. ^ a b c d "River Services map" (PDF). Transport for London. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  23. ^ "Thames 2000 Initiative". The Millennium Commission. 2000. Archived from the original on 9 December 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2008.
  24. ^ Mike O'Connor, Director of the Millennium Commission (13 July 2000). "Ken Livingstone Opens New Millennium Commission Funded Pier". The Millennium Commission. Archived from the original on 9 December 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2008. The Thames is vastly underused as a transport system for London. Thames 2000 is contributing much needed new piers for London which will serve a new sustainable transport system and promote greater use of the river. Visitors and residents will be able to use the Thames to reach other Millennium Commission funded attractions such as the new Tate Modern.
  25. ^ "Riverboat service map and guide" (PDF). Transport for London. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 13 June 2007.
  26. ^ a b c Maynard Launches (M.V Cockney Sparrow) Website
  27. ^ "Royal Wharf Pier Officially Open! - Uber Boat". www.thamesclippers.com. Thames Clippers. 17 October 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  28. ^ Shillibeer, Brian (17 October 2019). "New Royal Wharf Pier Arrives In London". TWinFM. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
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