Uber Boat by Thames Clippers coming to Barking Riverside
We are thrilled to share some exciting transport news with you. Soon, Barking Riverside will have its very own riverboat commuter service.
Uber Boat by Thames Clippers will connect Riverside residents directly to central London and Battersea, stopping at Woolwich, Greenwich, and Canary Wharf along the way. Scheduled to open by winter 2021, this will be Thames Clippers' 24th stop, and it joins the all-new Barking Riverside London Overground Station currently underway to directly connect Riverside residents to central London.
“This exciting agreement is part of our ambition to open up this remarkable stretch of the river Thames for everyone to enjoy,” says BRL managing director Matthew Carpen. “The new river bus stop will bring many benefits to the local area and create new opportunities for our diverse and enterprising community. It will put Barking Riverside firmly onto the map and attract new residents to make Barking Riverside their home, as well as inspiring other Londoners to come and visit us.”
The service will connect this dynamic and fast-growing stretch of the Thames to the centre of London
The new pier design is the work of Beckett Rankine and Anthony Carlile Architects from London. It will extend the Thames Clippers RB1 line, bringing commuters and leisure seekers directly to Barking Riverside from Battersea, via central London. Serving Barking Riverside and the wider Barking and Dagenham community, the service will also create a new link across the Thames to Woolwich in just 6 minutes, and up the river to Greenwich and Canary Wharf, reached within 20 and 35 minutes respectively. What’s more, central London will be accessible in just 45 minutes.
“The addition of a stunning new pier at Barking Riverside is an incredibly exciting milestone for Thames Clippers,” says Sean Collins, Thames Clippers co-founder and CEO. “It creates a new and unique gateway to the development and will allow residents to travel into the centre of the capital and beyond.” He says it extends the River Bus route by 4 km making this a significant step towards his company’s ambition to expand the network to East London, as well as his target to operate a route that spans over 50 km of the river Thames by 2025.
“Along with our partners at the GLA, we’re committed to getting the right transport infrastructure in place to support the fantastic community at Barking Riverside,” explains Vicky Savage, L&Q London managing director, and BRL board member. “We’re delighted to have successfully concluded these talks with Thames Clippers and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.”
The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham has contributed £600,000 in funding for the Thames Clippers project. Council leader, Darren Rodwell, says he is excited about the project. “Our borough already boasts a 15-minute journey to Fenchurch Street on the C2C. Exciting projects like this mean that we’re able to further increase connectivity to our borough and open even more doors to opportunities, for the benefit of our residents and local businesses,” he says.
The new Uber by Thames Clippers will offer a unique gateway to the Barking Riverside development. “The service will connect this dynamic and fast-growing stretch of the Thames to the centre of London,” adds Pat Hayes, managing director for Be First. “It will boost our vision to develop Barking and Dagenham’s riverside as one of London’s major destinations for waterside living and working.”
Meanwhile, L&Q’s Vicky Savage admits that the River Bus service is an enjoyable way to travel and see London. “The introduction of this iconic riverboat service, alongside the new Barking Riverside Overground Station, will help connect local people in the borough to Central London and beyond, whilst drawing in visitors to see the great things this area has to offer. Providing easier ways to travel - a game-changer for the area - this will deliver important long-term benefits to Barking Riverside for years to come.”
