RiverCity Ferries

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

Industry	Public transport
Predecessor	Transdev Brisbane Ferries
Founded	4 November 2020 (2020-11-04)
Headquarters	Brisbane , Australia
Area served	Brisbane River
Products	CityCat SpeedyCat KittyCat CityHopper Cross River Ferries
Services	Passenger ferry transport
Parent	Kelsian Group
Website	rivercityferries.com.au

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]

• Bulimba – Teneriffe
• Holman Street – Riverside known as the Kangaroo Point Cross River Service.

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.^{[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
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
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
Spirit of Brisbane	503586200	29436QE	Norman R Wright & Sons	October 2011		^[26]	Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white
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	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	●	●
Apollo Road	●	●
Bretts Wharf		●
Bulimba		●		●
Teneriffe	●	●		●		Blue CityGlider
Hawthorne		●
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		●
Regatta		●
Guyatt Park		●
West End		●				Blue CityGlider
UQ St Lucia	●	●				UQ Lakes busway station

References

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