The new housing development currently being built at Barking Riverside is to be added to the Thames Clipper service next year, once a new riverside pier is constructed at the site.
Thames Clippers says that it has signed a “long-term contract with Barking Riverside to open a new stop by Winter 2021 – which happens to be roughly when the Barking Riverside railway station is also currently expected to open.
The new pier will enable the boat company to extend its RB1 line, which currently stops at Woolwich Arsenal, out to Barking Riverside. That also creates a link across the Thames in an area, that unless you go in for a lengthy diversion via the DLR doesn’t have a river crossing.
One aspect of the pier that doesn’t show up in the concept image is that it’s likely to have a lengthy walkway from boat to the shoreline, as this area of the River Thames has wide mudflats and the existing industrial piers in the area have long paths to be able to reach deep enough water at low tide.
Barking and Dagenham council is contributing £600,000 in funding for this project.
The company has also indicated that it’s looking to extend the line further eastwards by 2025, having suggested Thamesmead and Belvedere as locations for the service to be extended to.
I guess it will dock close to the New station at the end of the Gospel Oak/Barking line
During this time when tourists are absent Thames Clippers could prove a good way for Londoners to travel with plenty of room for social distancing and it’s still available drinks of coffee and tea which you don’t get on commuter trains …
Wonder if face masks have to be worn on Thames Clippers and open top boats ?
I guess you have to wear a mask if inside but needless outside.
https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/mayor-approves-50-affordable-housing-revision-to-barking-riverside/10010516.article you can see the jetty clealry in the photos in this news story. It’s right beside the planned district centre and railway station. I would guess less than 5 min walk between two.
Hadn’t appreciated the cross river links to woolwich (and potentially Thamesmead). imagine it will be well used as they are plonking upwards of 11,000 new homes in Barking Riverside alone
Thames Clipper has just made a deal with Uber,the boats will be rebranded Uber Boat,and can be booked by the Uber app.
Thames Clipper is working on developing a 220 seat high-speed hybrid vessel with 123 Naval Architects and Wight Shipyard,battery only and hydrogen boats and is part of an EU funded Horizons 2020 scheme to develop a 150 passenger high speed electric ferries from two studies to be conducted in London and Belgium.Chief executive Sean Collins thinks the hydrogen fuel concept is more likely to be used for all electric ferries due to the weight of the batteries being hard to take with passengers.
Too expensive, why should we have to pay a premium to cross the river
Because crossing the river involves somewhat more infrastructure than walking down the road. Whether that cost is paid for by the individual, or by society as a whole through higher fares and taxes is a political argument – but whatever payment method is chosen, it will always cost a premium to cross a river than walk across a park.
This is a Visionary Company, who invest wisely. There´s more that can be done on the River.
Thamesmead and Belvedere, to widen usage of the Barking to Gospel Oak especially in the Off- Peak?