The body in charge of the River Thames says that electric ferries for Greenwich Peninsula, Thamesmead and possibly Charlton could be in place in just a few years if it can get funding and the backing of London’s next mayor.

Boats across the Thames to the Royal Docks could even be running as soon as 2026 if funding can be found, the Port of London Authority says.

A study commissioned by the PLA and the Thames Estuary Growth Board has recommended three routes to help plug the wide gaps in crossings for walkers and cyclists and to help boost local economies on both sides of the Thames. 

The ferries could run every 10 minutes from 7am to 11pm, according to the study, with fares integrated into TfL’s Oyster and contactless systems, although the PLA has also modelled options where travel would be free.

Links from North Greenwich to the Isle of Dogs, Charlton or Greenwich Millennium Village to the Royal Wharf development in Silvertown and Thamesmead to Barking Riverside are put forward in the study.  

A view from the cable car. Either Charlton Riverside, in the distance, or Greenwich Millennium Village, on the right, could be linked with Royal Wharf by 2026. Image: The Greenwich Wire

Each ferry would cost between £119 million and £132 million to build and run over 30 years, the PLA says. It suggests that this could be paid for by a combination of fares, government, local council funding, cash from developers and sponsorship. 

But the report admits that “funding is perhaps the largest challenge”. The PLA also suggests that cash from the planned Silvertown Tunnel cycle bus could be diverted to the ferries instead, while the Woolwich Ferry could also be tolled to cross-subside the new links. 

The sites of the piers on the Isle of Dogs are marked in red and labelled “new”. Image: Port of London Authority/Google Earth

A North Greenwich to Isle of Dogs ferry could run from a new pier close to the Magazine events venue, where the developer Knight Dragon has long-term plans for hundreds of flats. On the north bank of the Thames, new piers could be built near Stewart Street – the PLA’s preferred option and closer to Canary Wharf – or at Coldharbour, close to the Gun pub. This would be separate to existing proposals for Thames Clippers piers at Enderby Wharf and the Hotel Intercontinental.

The possible Greenwich Millennium Village and Charlton Riverside piers are marked in red and labelled “new” Image: Port of London Authority/Google Earth

While the PLA refers to a Charlton to Royal Docks ferry, its early plans focus on a link from Greenwich Millennium Village – roughly outside the homes on Mudlarks Boulevard and next to the Greenwich Peninsula ecology park – to the existing Thames Clippers pier at Royal Wharf, the huge development in Silvertown. 

A second option would use a new pier close to Vaizeys Wharf in Charlton, close to the end of Anchor and Hope Lane and near a site earmarked for 1,200 new homes. The PLA says this would be its preferred option if issues with the Thames Barrier can be overcome. 

Jetty on River Thames
A possible Charlton Riverside pier would be just beyond this jetty, the PLA says. Image: The Greenwich Wire

This link could be the first to be built, the PLA says – although no plans for links across the Thames exist in Greenwich Council’s current masterplan for the Charlton riverside. A group of architects have previously put forward a proposal for a bridge that would be attached to the Thames Barrier.

The possible Thamesmead piers are marked in red and labelled “new” Image: Port of London Authority/Google Earth

Further east, the Thamesmead to Barking Riverside ferry would use the existing Thames Clippers pier on the north side of the Thames. In the south ferries could serve the planned Thamesmead Waterfront development – just behind where Aldi is now and close to the town centre, which is the PLA’s preferred option. This would be close to the town centre and potentially a DLR station.

The alternative option is a new pier close to existing homes in the east of Thamesmead, close to Thamesbank Place, just inside the borough of Bexley. This link could be the last to be built, the PLA says.

Barking Riverside pier
Barking Riverside pier has a view of Thamesmead but no boats to there. Image: The Greenwich Wire

While each option will need further investigation, the PLA plans to lobby mayoral candidates, Transport for London and City Hall for a commitment to the new ferries in the next mayor’s transport strategy.

Robin Mortimer, the PLA’s chief executive, said: “The Thames has shaped London’s history for centuries and is key to its net zero future too. Based upon the experience of Auckland and Amsterdam, this report shows that the river can help create an affordable, low-carbon way of tackling transport inequity in east London.

Canary Wharf at twilight
There are currently no links between the west side of Greenwich Peninsula and the Isle of Dogs. Image: The Greenwich Wire

“Using electric ferry crossings, the capital can deliver strong, sustainable, connected communities in the fastest-growing parts of the city.

“We hope that the London mayoral and assembly candidates will recognise the river’s huge potential to support connectivity, reduce emissions and improve quality of life for Londoners by progressing these concepts.”

The full study is on the PLA website.