RiverCity Ferries
IndustryPublic transport
PredecessorTransdev Brisbane Ferries
Founded4 November 2020 (2020-11-04)
Headquarters
Brisbane
,
Australia
Area served
Brisbane River
Products
  • CityCat
  • SpeedyCat
  • KittyCat
  • CityHopper
  • Cross River Ferries
ServicesPassenger ferry transport
ParentKelsian Group
Websiterivercityferries.com.au

RiverCity Ferries is a public transport company which commenced operating ferry services in Brisbane on 4 November 2020. It is a subsidiary of the Kelsian Group.[1][2]

RiverCity Ferries operates 32 vessels serving 21 wharves on the Brisbane River under a ten-year contract (with an optional five-year extension) with the Brisbane City Council.[3][4] The company won the contract from the previous operator, Transdev Brisbane Ferries.[1]

Services

CityCat

CityCat services operate from UQ St Lucia to Northshore Hamilton calling at West End, Guyatt Park, Regatta, Milton, North Quay, South Bank, QUT Gardens Point, Riverside, Sydney Street, Mowbray Park, New Farm Park, Hawthorne, Bulimba, Teneriffe, Bretts Wharf and Apollo Road.[5] Not all CityCat services stop all stops, with some peak time express services operating.[6]

CityHopper

CityHopper is an inner city service between North Quay and Sydney Street, stopping at South Bank, Maritime Museum, Riverside and Holman Street.[7]

Cross River

Cross River consists of cross-river services at two locations.[8]

Changes from 15 November 2020

  • Some services which were suspended by Brisbane City Council on 20 July 2020, were either cancelled or reintroduced by RiverCity Ferries as follows:-
  • The Norman Park Cross River service was cancelled permanently.
  • Resumed services were:
    • The Kangaroo Point Cross River service no longer stops at Thornton Street and Eagle Street, and instead operates from Holman Street to Riverside wharf only.
    • Likewise the CityHopper service no longer stops at Dockside, Thornton Street and Eagle Street. Riverside Wharf can be used instead of Eagle Street.[9][10]
    • The resumed services use the leased KittyCat catamarans.

Fleet

RiverCity Ferries's fleet consists of 23 CityCats, five KittyCats and one CityFerry (out of service undergoing repair).[11] All except the KittyCats are owned by Brisbane City Council; the KittyCats are leased from Captain Cook Cruises.

CityCat ferries

The CityCat vessels are catamarans, and named after the Aboriginal place names for various parts of the Brisbane River and adjacent areas (with the exception of the 19th CityCat, the Spirit of Brisbane, which honours the 2011 flood recovery volunteers[12]). All CityCats are operated by a crew of three - a master, a deck hand and a ticket seller.

First generation

First generation CityCats have a capacity of 149 passengers.[5] These are to be replaced by additional fourth generation vessels.[13]

NameMMSICall signBuilderLaunchedWithdrawnNamesakeReferenceWrap ThemeImage
Kurilpa50357530011930QEBrisbane Ship ConstructionsNovember 1996West End[14]Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and whiteKurilpa
Mirbarpa50357560011930QEBrisbane Ship ConstructionsNovember 1996Indooroopilly[14]Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Barrambin50357550012013QEBrisbane Ship ConstructionsNovember 19962021Breakfast Creek[14]Commemoration of 20 Years of CityCat services
Tugulawa50357540012014QEBrisbane Ship ConstructionsNovember 1996Bulimba[14]Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Mianjin 50357580012132QEBrisbane Ship ConstructionsDecember 1996January 2021Gardens Point[14]Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Binkinba50357570012133QEBrisbane Ship ConstructionsDecember 1996New Farm[14]Brisbane Bullets basketball teamBinkinba
Mooroolbin50357590020481QEBrisbane Ship ConstructionsOctober 1998Hamilton Sandbank[14]Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Baneraba50357610020854QEBrisbane Ship ConstructionsDecember 1998Toowong[14]Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white

Second generation

Second generation CityCats have a capacity of 162 passengers.[5]

NameMMSICall signBuilderLaunchedWithdrawnNamesakeReferenceWrap ThemeImage
Beenung-urrung50357620026483QENorman R Wright & SonsAugust 20041 March 2022
Sunk during the 2022 eastern Australia floods[15]		Highgate Hill[16]Brisbane Lions AFL team
Tunamun50357630026579QENorman R Wright & SonsJune 2005Petrie Bight[17]Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Meeandah50357640028744QENorman R Wright & SonsFebruary 2008Meeandah[18] Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Wilwinpa50357650028744QENorman R Wright & SonsJune 2008Old Observatory[19][20]Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Ya-wa-gara50357660027885QENorman R Wright & SonsNovember 2008Breakfast Creek[21]Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Mahreel50357670027885QENorman R Wright & SonsApril 2009Spring Hill[22]Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white

Third generation

Third generation CityCats have a capacity of 162 passengers.[5]

NameMMSICall signBuilderLaunchedNamesakeReferenceWrap ThemeImage
Kuluwin50357680029438QENorman R Wright & SonsFebruary 2010Wooloowin[23]Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Gootcha50357690029440QENorman R Wright & SonsJuly 2010Toowong[24]Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Walan50357710029439QENorman R Wright & SonsDecember 2010Herston[4] Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Mudherri50357720029437QENorman R Wright & SonsJuly 2011Murarrie[25]Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and whiteMudherri
Spirit of Brisbane50358620029436QENorman R Wright & SonsOctober 2011[26]Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and whiteSpirit of Brisbane
Nar-dha503017210A3K0202Norman R Wright & SonsNovember 2014Nudgee[27]Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Gilwunpa50302567032038QENorman R Wright & SonsJune 2015Nundah[28]Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white

Fourth generation

Seven fourth generation CityCats are being delivered from late 2019. They have a capacity of 170 passengers, including 20 on an open upper deck, plus more space for wheelchairs and bicycles than earlier generations. The vessels which each cost $3.7 million, are being constructed at Murarrie by Aus Ships Group.[29][30][31]

In December 2019, Brisbane City Council awarded Aus Ships Group a contract for an additional six fourth generation CityCats to replace the first generation vessels at a cost of $3.73 million each.[13]

NameMMSICall signBuilderLaunchedNamesakeReferenceImage
Yoogera503092890456106Aus ShipsOctober 2019Mouth of Breakfast Creek[32][33]
Neville Bonner503102970457882Aus ShipsAugust 2020Neville Bonner[34][35]
Mianjin II503110450458416Aus ShipsMay 2021Gardens Point[36]
Barrambin IIAus ShipsBreakfast Creek [37]
Mooroolbin II503131370459861Aus ShipsMay 2022Hamilton Sandbank[38]
Kurilpa II503138850459862Aus ShipsDecember 2022West End[39]
Binkinba II503149810461419Aus ShipsJuly 2023New Farm (Place of the land tortoise[40])[41]
City Cat 29Aus Ships2024 (planned)Temporary yard name
City Cat 30Aus Ships2025 (planned)Temporary yard name
KittyKat 'Victoria' (September 2021)

KittyCats

Five 12 m (39 ft) catamarans, nicknamed KittyCats, have been leased from RiverCity Ferries sister company Captain Cook Cruises in Sydney since November 2020 to operate the CityHopper and cross river services after the monohulled ferries were withdrawn. The first, MV Cockle Bay, arrived in Brisbane in September 2020,[42] to fill in for suspended cross-river ferries awaiting repairs. They have a capacity of 60 passengers (36 seated, 24 standing) and are operated by a crew of one. They are powered by 2 x 184 kW (247 hp) Cummins QSB engines with an economical normal service speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) and a maximum speed of 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph).

Residents have expressed concerns with the noise of the new vessels, since they came into service. In May 2021, Council ordered SeaLink to fit mufflers to the vessels to reduce noise concerns.

NameMMSICall signBuilderLaunchedNamesakeImage
Cockle Bay503047610Richardson Devine Marine2017Cockle Bay
Blackwattle Bay503047620Richardson Devine Marine2017Blackwattle Bay
White Bay503076850455645Harwood Marine2018White Bay
Pyrmont Bay503076860455653Harwood Marine2018Pyrmont Bay
Albert (#455645)2020
Eleanor (#452393)44544QE2020
Melany (#455653)2020
Victoria (#454604)2020
Taylor (#444165)2020

Monohulled ferries

When the CityFerry and CityHopper fleets were suspended from service due to deterioration of their wooden hulls, ferry Kalparrin with its steel monohull remained in service. Kalparrin is currently out of service, undergoing refurbishment and restoration. It's powered by a 86 kW (115 hp) Perkins engine, with a maximum speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) and is operated by a crew of one.[5]

NameCall signBuilderLaunchedNamesakePassengersImage
Kalparrin9570QEQueensland Port Services1993An Aboriginal word meaning "to help carry a load"[43] 47

EVCat

A prototype electric ferry, to be called the EVCat, was announced by Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner on 14 June 2023. Development would be funded by Brisbane City Council and developed jointly with River City Ferries and Aus Ships. The proposed prototype would be 15 metres (49 ft) long and carry 50 passengers, larger than the KittyCats but smaller than the CityCats.[44]

Former fleet

Monohull ferries

The monohulled ferries worked the inner city CityHopper and cross-river CityFerry services. All units were suspended from service in July 2020 following the discovery of rotten wood in their hulls and later replaced by KittyCats.[45]

Restoration of these ferries was mooted but later abandoned due to cost and their 30+ year age; they were auctioned off in August 2022.[46]

CityHopper

These were powered by 134 kW (180 hp) Scania engines, with a maximum speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) and were operated by a crew of one.

NameCall signBuilderLaunchedNamesakePassengersImage
Mermaid4372QECNorman Park Boat Builders1988HMS Mermaid (1817), ship used by John Oxley who explored the Brisbane River in December 1823 78
Doomba4902QENorman R Wright & Sons1989SS Doomba78
Otter4908QENorman R Wright & Sons1989HMQS Otter78

CityFerry

These were powered by 86 kW (115 hp) Perkins engines, with a maximum speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) and were operated by a crew of one.[5]

Kalparrin was the only ferry to survive withdrawal of the fleet due to having a steel hull instead of timber.

NameCall signBuilderLaunchedNamesakePassengersImage
Bulimba959QENorman R Wright & Sons1984Bulimba47
Lucinda1185QENorman Park Boat Builders1986Lucinda47
Koopa1124QENorman Park Boat Builders1986SS Koopa, the Bribie Island ferry from 1912 to 196347
Gayundah1283QENorman Park Boat Builders1986HMQS Gayundah47
John Oxley6950QENorman R Wright & Sons1990John Oxley47

Network

The wharves are given in geographical order, heading upstream along the Brisbane River.

Wharf Stopping pattern
SE = SpeedyCat Express (weekday peak)
CC = CityCat
CH = CityHopper
CF = CityFerry (cross river)		 Connections
SE CC CH CF CF
Northshore Hamilton ●● Bus transport
Apollo Road ●● Bus transport
Bretts Wharf ● Bus transport
Bulimba ●● Bus transport
Teneriffe ●●● Bus transport Blue CityGlider
Hawthorne ● Bus transport
New Farm Park ●
Mowbray Park ●
Sydney Street ●●
Howard Smith Wharves ●●
Holman Street ●●
Riverside ●●● ●
Maritime Museum ●
South Bank 3 ●
QUT Gardens Point ●
South Bank 1 & 2 ●
North Quay ●●●
Milton ● Bus transport
Regatta ● Bus transport
Guyatt Park ●
West End ● Bus transport Blue CityGlider
UQ St Lucia ●● Bus transport UQ Lakes busway station

References

  1. ↑ SeaLink secures Brisbane CityCat contract Archived 30 June 2020 at the Wayback Machine Business News Australia 29 June 2020
  2. ↑ CityCat, SpeedyCat and ferry services Archived 5 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine Brisbane City Council
  3. 1 2 Ferry operators to keep their jobs in new council contract Archived 3 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine Brisbane Times 29 June 2020
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "River City Ferries". River City Ferries. Archived from the original on 19 September 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  5. ↑ "CityCat timetable" (PDF). Translink. 15 November 2020.
  6. ↑ "CityHopper timetable" (PDF). Translink. 15 November 2020. pp. 1–2.
  7. ↑ "Bulimba-Teneriffe cross river timetable" (PDF). TransLink. 15 November 2020. pp. 3–6.
  8. ↑ New timetable for CityHopper and Cross River services Archived 16 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine TransLink 26 October 2020
  9. ↑ Stone, Lucy (23 October 2020). "Council scuttles two Brisbane River ferry services permanently". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  10. ↑ Fast Facts Archived 27 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine Transdev Brisbane Ferries
  11. ↑ "New CityCat honours Brisbane's flood heroes". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  12. 1 2 "Council cuts CityCat ties with 100-year-old Brisbane boat supplier". Brisbane Times. 5 December 2019. Archived from the original on 6 December 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Brisbane CityCats Archived 26 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine BSC Marine
  14. ↑ "CityCat network offline for months, bikeway damage could take years to repair, Brisbane City Council warns". ABC News. 8 March 2022. Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  15. ↑ Griffith, Chris (2 August 2004). "Supercat's launch barely raises a ripple". The Courier-Mail. p. 4. Archived from the original on 1 March 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  16. ↑ Kennedy, Julian (22 June 2005). "Ferry fever catching". Brisbane City News (1 ed.). p. 12. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  17. ↑ "Brisbane CityCats". Norman R. Wrights & Sons. Archived from the original on 25 May 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  18. ↑ Petrie, Constance Campbell; Petrie, Tom, 1831-1910 (1980). Tom Petrie's reminiscences of early Queensland (PDF). Currey O'Neil. p. 316. ISBN 978-0-85550-278-2. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2020.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. ↑ Robinson, Georgina (23 June 2008). "New CityCat bolsters fleet". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  20. ↑ Waters, Georgia (13 November 2008). "Lucky 13 as Rice launches newest CityCat". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  21. ↑ Moore, Tony (21 April 2009). "CityCats to get military-style cameras". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  22. ↑ Moore, Tony (18 February 2010). "CityCats go express". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  23. ↑ Moore, Tony (2 July 2010). "New CityCat a floating canvas". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  24. ↑ Calligeros, Marissa (25 July 2011). "CityCat terminal to plumb new depths". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 25 February 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  25. ↑ Moore, Tony (4 October 2011). "New CityCat honours Brisbane's flood heroes". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  26. ↑ Kim Stephens (4 November 2014). "CityCat No. 20 a floating tribute to leaders' summit". Brisbane Times. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 11 April 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  27. ↑ Queensland Firebird colours cover Brisbane CityCat ferry to mark 10 straight wins Archived 14 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine 612 ABC Brisbane 3 June 2015
  28. ↑ "CityCat 22". Brisbane City Council. Archived from the original on 20 August 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  29. ↑ "Multimillion-dollar double-decker CityCat to be built". Brisbane Times. 6 November 2018. Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  30. ↑ "Cat's out of the bag: First look inside Brisbane's double-decker CityCat". Brisbane Times. 20 August 2019. Archived from the original on 20 August 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  31. ↑ "Brisbane's first double-decker CityCat hits the water". Brisbane Times. 22 October 2019. Archived from the original on 23 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  32. ↑ "27m Passenger Catamaran - CityCat 22 "Yoogerah"". Aus Ships Group. Archived from the original on 6 September 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  33. ↑ "Neville Bonner's legacy to travel the Brisbane River". Brisbane Times. 25 August 2020. Archived from the original on 25 August 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  34. ↑ "27m Passenger Catamaran - CityCat 23 "Neville Bonner"". Aus Ships Group. Archived from the original on 6 September 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  35. ↑ "27m Passenger Catamaran - CityCat 24 "Mianjin II"". Aus Ships Group. Archived from the original on 6 September 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  36. ↑ "27m Passenger Catamaran - CityCat 25 "Barrambin II"". Aus Ships Group. Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  37. ↑ "27m Passenger Catamaran - CityCat 26 "Mooroolbin II"". Aus Ships Group. Archived from the original on 30 January 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  38. ↑ "27m Passenger Catamaran - CityCat 27 "Kurilpa II"". Aus Ships Group. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  39. ↑ Howard, Vicki (1 August 2023). "New CityCat launches into service". Vicki Howard. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  40. ↑ "27m Passenger Catamaran - CityCat 28 "Binkinba II"". Aus Ships Group. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  41. ↑ "'KittyCats'". Archived from the original on 7 September 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  42. ↑ Gardan, Stephanie; Pemberton, Alexander Gordon; Graham, Verna E (1 January 1972). Kalparrin : a voluntary agency looks to itself. University of Queensland Press. p. 127. Archived from the original on 29 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  43. ↑ "New Gold CityGlider bus route and battery-powered ferry for Brisbane". Brisbane Times. 14 June 2023.
  44. ↑ Council scuttles two Brisbane River ferry services permanently Archived 1 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine Brisbane Times 23 October 2020
  45. ↑ "New owners for Brisbane's wooden hull cross-river ferries after auction process". ABC News. 17 November 2022. Archived from the original on 19 February 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.