Woolwich Ferry. Spare vessel on the day, 'Ernest Bevin' lies at anchor, on the River Thames.
The Woolwich Ferry is a free vehicle ferry service across the River Thames in East London, connecting Woolwich to the south with North Woolwich to the north. It is licensed and financed by London River Services, the maritime arm of Transport for London (TfL). The service is operated by Briggs Marine under licence from TfL and carries both foot passengers and vehicles. Around two million passengers use the ferry each year.
There has been a ferry operating in Woolwich since the 14th century, and commercial crossings operated intermittently until the mid-19th century. The free service opened in 1889, following the abolition of tolls across bridges to the west of London. Traffic increased in the 20th century owing to the rise in motor vehicle use, and because of the lack of nearby fixed crossings of the Thames it has remained popular, although pedestrian use has dropped as a result of the construction of a parallel foot tunnel and the extension of the Docklands Light Railway through to Woolwich Arsenal station. Alternatives such as the Thames Gateway Bridge and the Gallions Reach Crossing have been proposed as replacements, but there are no immediate plans to discontinue the Woolwich Ferry as long as there is a demand.
The current three vessels were built in Dundee in 1963 by the Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, to replace the paddle steamers, and were each named after prominent local politicians: John Burns, Ernest Bevin and James Newman (Newman was mayor of Woolwich, 1923–25). These ferries feature Voith-Schneider propulsion systems for manoeuvrability. A cycloidal propeller is fitted centrally at either end, and each is driven by a 500bhp 7-cylinder Mirrlees National diesel engine.
Woolwich Ferry. Spare vessel on the day, 'Ernest Bevin' lies at anchor, on the River Thames.
The Woolwich Ferry is a free vehicle ferry service across the River Thames in East London, connecting Woolwich to the south with North Woolwich to the north. It is licensed and financed by London River Services, the maritime arm of Transport for London (TfL). The service is operated by Briggs Marine under licence from TfL and carries both foot passengers and vehicles. Around two million passengers use the ferry each year.
There has been a ferry operating in Woolwich since the 14th century, and commercial crossings operated intermittently until the mid-19th century. The free service opened in 1889, following the abolition of tolls across bridges to the west of London. Traffic increased in the 20th century owing to the rise in motor vehicle use, and because of the lack of nearby fixed crossings of the Thames it has remained popular, although pedestrian use has dropped as a result of the construction of a parallel foot tunnel and the extension of the Docklands Light Railway through to Woolwich Arsenal station. Alternatives such as the Thames Gateway Bridge and the Gallions Reach Crossing have been proposed as replacements, but there are no immediate plans to discontinue the Woolwich Ferry as long as there is a demand.
The current three vessels were built in Dundee in 1963 by the Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, to replace the paddle steamers, and were each named after prominent local politicians: John Burns, Ernest Bevin and James Newman (Newman was mayor of Woolwich, 1923–25). These ferries feature Voith-Schneider propulsion systems for manoeuvrability. A cycloidal propeller is fitted centrally at either end, and each is driven by a 500bhp 7-cylinder Mirrlees National diesel engine.