Service alerts
Learn more about what can cause service delays or cancellations
This page is updated regularly when we have advanced notice of situations which may impact our service. For the most up to date information on our services please follow @thamesclippers on Twitter.
As soon as we are aware of any disruptions, service alerts will be sent via Twitter.
Service alerts
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Gun salute at Tower
A gun salute will be fired from the Tower of London on 22 November at 12:10. Tower Pier will close between approximately 11:55 and 12:20. if your service is affected please disembark at London Bridge City Pier instead.
Please allow extra time for your journey.
Check our timetable before travelling as well as our Twitter account @thamesclippers for live service updates.
Thames Barrier Closures
To view a full list of upcoming barrier closure dates, visit the government website.
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Thames Barrier Closure
Wednesday, 14 DecemberA test closure of the Thames Barrier is scheduled to take place 09:50 – 12:20 on Wednesday 14 December. This will prevent some morning services from calling at Barking Riverside and Woolwich (Royal Arsenal) piers.
The last westbound service departing these piers will be the 09:20 from Barking Riverside Pier. The last three eastbound services of the morning will end at North Greenwich Pier.
Evening services will not be affected. -
Thames Barrier Closure
Thursday, 12 JanuaryA test closure of the Thames Barrier is scheduled to take place 09:45 – 12:15 on Thursday 12 January. This will prevent some morning services from calling at Barking Riverside and Woolwich (Royal Arsenal) piers.
The last westbound service departing these piers will be the 09:20 from Barking Riverside Pier. The last three eastbound services of the morning will end at North Greenwich Pier.
Evening services will not be affected. -
Thames Barrier Closure
Thursday, 9 FebruaryA test closure of the Thames Barrier is scheduled to take place 09:00 – 11:30 on Thursday 9 February. This will prevent some morning services from calling at Barking Riverside and Woolwich (Royal Arsenal) piers.
The last westbound service departing these piers will be the 08:50 from Barking Riverside Pier. The last four eastbound services of the morning will end at North Greenwich Pier.
Evening services will not be affected. -
Thames Barrier Closure
Monday, 13 MarchA test closure of the Thames Barrier is scheduled to take place 09:50 – 12:20 on Monday 13 March. This will prevent some morning services from calling at Barking Riverside and Woolwich (Royal Arsenal) piers.
The last westbound service departing these piers will be the 09:20 from Barking Riverside Pier. The last two eastbound services of the morning will end at North Greenwich Pier.
Evening services will not be affected.
Service updates on Twitter
- Our fleet control update Twitter with delay information using TfL’s wording for delays. “Minor” refers to delays between 5-15 minutes. “Severe” refers to delays that are over 15 minutes.
- When a service is “suspended between two piers” this means that the service is not able to run between the piers mentioned or at the intermediate piers.
- We cannot always give a specific reason for each individual delay nor can our fleet control respond to individual tweets asking about the arrival time of your service.
What causes service delays and alerts?
Spontaneous service delays can be caused by a number of issues including river congestion, pier congestion, passenger demand, passenger disruption and occasional technical issues with our vessels. When we are aware of these disruptions, a service alert is issued via our Twitter page.
Anticipated service alerts can be caused by:
- Tidal conditions
At extremely low tides, our vessels may be unable to dock successfully at some of our piers or it may be unsafe for passengers to attempt to board from them. Low tide also limits the Thames’s river traffic capacity which can cause congestion. - Thames Barrier closures
The Thames Barrier is located between Woolwich (Royal Arsenal) and Royal Wharf piers. When the barrier is closed for tests, or to prevent London from flooding, our services are unable to reach Woolwich (Royal Arsenal) or Barking Riverside piers. - London fog
In extreme fog our services cannot operate. As foggy conditions can change rapidly, please check our Twitter page for the most up-to-date information. - Riverside activities
The Thames is an incredibly active river and events regularly take place along its banks and on the river itself which have the potential to affect some services.
We apologise for any inconvenience that service disruption has caused to your journey and we always appreciate your patience while we manage the matter. If you wish to contact our Customer Service Team, you can do so here.