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

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.[citation needed]

First generation

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

Name MMSI Call sign Builder Launched Withdrawn Namesake Reference Wrap Theme Image
Kurilpa 503575300 11930QE Brisbane Ship Constructions November 1996 West End [14] Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white Kurilpa
Mirbarpa 503575600 11930QE Brisbane Ship Constructions November 1996 Indooroopilly [14] Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Barrambin 503575500 12013QE Brisbane Ship Constructions November 1996 2021 Breakfast Creek [14] Commemoration of 20 Years of CityCat services
Tugulawa 503575400 12014QE Brisbane Ship Constructions November 1996 Bulimba [14] Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Mianjin 503575800 12132QE Brisbane Ship Constructions December 1996 January 2021 Gardens Point [14] Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Binkinba 503575700 12133QE Brisbane Ship Constructions December 1996 New Farm [14] Brisbane Bullets basketball team Binkinba
Mooroolbin 503575900 20481QE Brisbane Ship Constructions October 1998 Hamilton Sandbank [14] Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Baneraba 503576100 20854QE Brisbane Ship Constructions December 1998 Toowong [14] Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white

Second generation

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

Name MMSI Call sign Builder Launched Withdrawn Namesake Reference Wrap Theme Image
Beenung-urrung 503576200 26483QE Norman R Wright & Sons August 2004 1 March 2022
Sunk during the 2022 eastern Australia floods[15]		 Highgate Hill [16] Brisbane Lions AFL team
Tunamun 503576300 26579QE Norman R Wright & Sons June 2005 Petrie Bight [17] Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Meeandah 503576400 28744QE Norman R Wright & Sons February 2008 Meeandah [18] Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Wilwinpa 503576500 28744QE Norman R Wright & Sons June 2008 Old Observatory[19] [20] Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Ya-wa-gara 503576600 27885QE Norman R Wright & Sons November 2008 Breakfast Creek [21] Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Mahreel 503576700 27885QE Norman R Wright & Sons April 2009 Spring 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]

Name MMSI Call sign Builder Launched Namesake Reference Wrap Theme Image
Kuluwin 503576800 29438QE Norman R Wright & Sons February 2010 Wooloowin [23] Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Gootcha 503576900 29440QE Norman R Wright & Sons July 2010 Toowong [24] Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Walan 503577100 29439QE Norman R Wright & Sons December 2010 Herston [4] Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Mudherri 503577200 29437QE Norman R Wright & Sons July 2011 Murarrie [25] Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white Mudherri
Spirit of Brisbane 503586200 29436QE Norman R Wright & Sons October 2011 [26] Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white Spirit of Brisbane
Nar-dha 503017210 A3K0202 Norman R Wright & Sons November 2014 Nudgee [27] Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
Gilwunpa 503025670 32038QE Norman R Wright & Sons June 2015 Nundah [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]

Name MMSI Call sign Builder Launched Namesake Reference Image
Yoogera 503092890 456106 Aus Ships October 2019 Mouth of Breakfast Creek [32][33]
Neville Bonner 503102970 457882 Aus Ships August 2020 Neville Bonner [34][35]
Mianjin II 503110450 458416 Aus Ships May 2021 Gardens Point [36]
Barrambin II Aus Ships Breakfast Creek [37]
Mooroolbin II 503131370 459861 Aus Ships May 2022 Hamilton Sandbank [38]
Kurilpa II 503138850 459862 Aus Ships December 2022 West End [39]
Binkinba II 503149810 461419 Aus Ships July 2023 New Farm (Place of the land tortoise[40]) [41]
City Cat 29 Aus Ships 2024 (planned) Temporary yard name
City Cat 30 Aus Ships 2025 (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.

Name MMSI Call sign Builder Launched Namesake Image
Cockle Bay 503047610 Richardson Devine Marine 2017 Cockle Bay
Blackwattle Bay 503047620 Richardson Devine Marine 2017 Blackwattle Bay
White Bay 503076850 455645 Harwood Marine 2018 White Bay
Pyrmont Bay 503076860 455653 Harwood Marine 2018 Pyrmont Bay
Albert (#455645) 2020
Eleanor (#452393) 44544QE 2020
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]

Name Call sign Builder Launched Namesake Passengers Image
Kalparrin 9570QE Queensland Port Services 1993 An 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.

Name Call sign Builder Launched Namesake Passengers Image
Mermaid 4372QEC Norman Park Boat Builders 1988 HMS Mermaid (1817), ship used by John Oxley who explored the Brisbane River in December 1823 78
Doomba 4902QE Norman R Wright & Sons 1989 SS Doomba 78
Otter 4908QE Norman R Wright & Sons 1989 HMQS Otter 78

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.

Name Call sign Builder Launched Namesake Passengers Image
Bulimba 959QE Norman R Wright & Sons 1984 Bulimba 47
Lucinda 1185QE Norman Park Boat Builders 1986 Lucinda 47
Koopa 1124QE Norman Park Boat Builders 1986 SS Koopa, the Bribie Island ferry from 1912 to 1963 47
Gayundah 1283QE Norman Park Boat Builders 1986 HMQS Gayundah 47
John Oxley 6950QE Norman R Wright & Sons 1990 John Oxley 47

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. ^ a b Ferry operators to keep their jobs in new council contract Archived 3 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine Brisbane Times 29 June 2020
  4. ^ a b c d e f "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. ^ a b "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. ^ a b c d e f g h 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.
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