On 19th October two new high speed catamarans, that travelled over 15,000 miles from where they were built in Tasmania, Australia, arrived in their new home when unloaded on the River Thames in the Pool of London.

The £6.5 million investment in the new craft by owners, MBNA Thames Clippers, represents a significant enhancement to London’s transport infrastructure and river travel in particular. The 150-passenger, 35m long ultra-high specification twin catamarans, Galaxy Clipper and Neptune Clipper, are the first new vessels to be added to the river bus service in seven years. Specially-designed to be exceptionally lightweight and with a sleek hull form, the vessels will be the most efficient and technically advanced river buses on the Thames.

They will add extra capacity to the popular RB6 route from Blackfriars to Putney, which has already seen a 40% increase in passenger journeys in the last 12 months. They will also provide extra capacity on other routes during periods of high demand. In a further boost to river transport, a new £2.8 million pier opened on the south bank of the Thames between Battersea and Wandsworth bridges on 11th November.

Plantation Wharf, which is built and owned by Plantation Wharf Pier LLP, will improve transport links for local commuters and residents, allowing them access to the RB6 service which runs during weekday morning and evening peak hours. Each week the Galaxy Clipper and Neptune Clipper will travel 204 miles each up and down the River Thames, covering over 74,052 miles each in one year.