Service changes
RB1 is operating every day.
RB2 and RB6 are operating on weekdays.
Last updated: Monday 12 April 2021
Welcome back on board!
Our RB1 service resumed on Monday 29 March and we're delighted to announce our RB6 service is now calling at piers in the West Zone on weekday mornings and evenings.
Following the further easing of lockdown restrictions, our RB2 service has also returned to our weekday timetable. All our services still have an enhanced cleaning regime and social distancing measures in place.
If you do plan to travel with us, remember; face coverings are mandatory on all public transport and must be worn on all piers and vessels unless exempt. Maintain social distance on board and at piers, use our hand sanitiser stations and adhere to our Covid-19 safety measures.
New weekday timetable
A new weekday timetable was introduced on Monday 12 April. Here are some of the key highlights:
- RB6 resumed service between Putney and Canary Wharf piers on weekdays during peak commuter times.
- RB2 returned, serving piers between Battersea Power Station and Bankside during off-peak times on weekdays.
- Some sailings for both RB6 and RB2 start/finish as far east as North Greenwich, enhancing services for the East Zone.
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The final RB6 Eastbound service departs Putney Pier at 20:45 and finishes at Woolwich (Royal Arsenal) at 22:21.
- A 20-minute frequency is now being reinstated at off-peak times for central RB1 piers.
- There is no change to the current weekend timetable; we will continue to run RB1 between Battersea Power Station and Woolwich (Royal Arsenal) piers at a 20-minute frequency.
- RB4, for travel between Canary Wharf and Rotherhithe, will remain suspended until the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London - Docklands Riverside re-opens (mid-May, TBC).
Café bar changes
Following Government guidance, from 12 April, food and drink can be bought on board for takeaway or for consumption on the outside back deck. Please do not eat or drink inside the cabin.
The Covid-19 measures we had in place before lockdown are still in place: clear glass screens, no open food being sold and cashless payments only.
Passenger information system
Due to technical issues, weekday RB1 sailings will not show on our live departures board until Friday 16 April. Please refer to our timetable or ask a member of the team at our staffed piers. The final RB6 Eastbound departing Putney Pier at 20:45 will not show on the passenger information system as ending at Woolwich (Royal Arsenal) until 1 May.
Return when you're ready
Season ticket holders:
Choose to start travelling again when it suits you! You will have received replacement tickets to cover any lost time on your existing season ticket. These tickets will be valid for up to a year, just activate them when you’re ready to travel again.
You don’t need to do anything, these tickets will have appeared in your app's ticket wallet when services resumed on 29 March 2021.
Agile carnets and other tickets:
We will have replaced your existing tickets so they have a renewed validity from 29 March 2021. If you need a little longer, please get in touch to let us know when you’d like to start using your tickets again. Our Customer Team is here to take any urgent enquiries, though we ask you to be mindful that we have a small team and response times will be considerably longer than usual.
About our service resumption
Uber Boat by Thames Clippers is licensed by TfL to run London’s River Bus service. Like all other modes of public transport, we’ve been able to continue operating throughout the pandemic. With no Government subsidy to support our services, we had to make the difficult decision to temporarily suspend operations due to commercial viability.
We have now restarted service, closely aligned with the Government’s roadmap to recovery, to allow Londoners to travel safely through the city. We take the safety of our passengers and that of our staff very seriously. We’ve been recognised by VisitEngland, The AA and The World Travel & Tourism Council for introducing safety measures that help reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission. For full details regarding the measures we are taking, please visit our Covid-19 safety measures page.
Useful links
We implemented price changes on 29 March, affecting all Zones, as we continue to invest significantly in our fleet and wider transport infrastructure and technology.
You will notice a new real-time passenger information system at all piers, which we hope will greatly improve your journey planning experience. We have significant plans to improve our pier infrastructure further in the next couple of years, which includes the introduction of Barking Riverside as our 24th pier, due to open this autumn. Throughout the Pandemic, we have unfortunately had no Government subsidy to support our services and were effectively tied up for six months over the past year, which seriously impacted our income. Nonetheless, our commitment to improving and investing in our service, with our customers front of mind, remains our first priority.
To summarise the key changes:
- Season tickets for Central, East, West and All Zones increased by 1.6%; a smaller increase compared with the rest of Transport for London’s network, for which fares have increased by 2.6%.
- Central & East Zone season tickets increased comparatively more (from 6.5%); however, they still offer great value and in some cases, hundreds of pounds’ worth of savings compared with the Transport for London equivalent fare – see below for more details.
- Central & West Zone season ticket prices continue to gradually align with those of the Central & East Zone (and this in spite of higher pier fees in the West Zone); reflected in the smaller increase of 3.5%.
- The Central, East, West, Central & East, Central & West and All Zones fares increased. This change affected the Standard fare, the Oyster/Contactless/Online/App fare, the discounted Travelcard fare and all Flexible Carnet ticket types for these Zones.
- Discounted Child and Freedom Pass fares for Central, East, West, Central & East, Central & West and All Zones also increased, with the exception of return tickets for Central & East and Central & West Zones which remain frozen.
- River Roamer fares have increased. Buying in advance online, now also via the Thames Clippers Tickets app, continues to offer the best value for Standard River Roamer and Family River Roamer tickets, with a saving of 10%.
Offering value for money
For our regular travellers, our season tickets still continue to offer the best value for money, offering a saving of up to 70%* with the annual option.
A single journey can work out as little as £1.57** a journey with the annual option.
And by committing to an annual rather than buying monthly season tickets, over a 12-month period this could effectively save you the cost of more than three months’ travel***
You may be surprised by just how favourably we compare on season ticket travel.
Our best cost-saving fares include:
- Flexible Carnet tickets: 4, 6, 10 and 20 pre-paid tickets, available via the Thames Clippers Ticketing app. The price per journey can be up to 20% cheaper compared with paying by Contactless or Oyster card to pay-as-you-go.
- For a family of up to five, the Family River Roamer ticket offers excellent value: up to 3 children (5-15 years old) travel for free with two adults. Buy online or via the Thames Clippers Tickets app for a 10% saving.
- Children aged 4 years and under continue to travel for free as standard.
Please click here to view the new prices
When sailing with us, please adhere to our coronavirus travel advice.
*Travelling on a Central or Central & East Zone annual season ticket, compared with purchasing Adult Standard return tickets for 261 working days of the year.
**Based on two journeys across 261 working days of the year, travelling on a West or East Zone annual season ticket.
***Purchasing an annual versus 12 monthly Central & West Zone season tickets. Savings for other Zones range between 1.5-2 months’ saving when purchasing an annual versus 12 monthly season tickets for the same Zone.
