River-class ferry

Last updated
River class
20230910 Cheryl Salisbury leaving Circular Quay.jpg
Cheryl Salisbury in September 2023
Class overview
BuildersDesigners Incat Crowther
Operators Transdev Sydney Ferries
Preceded by RiverCats
Built2020
In service2021
Planned10
General characteristics
Type Catamaran
Length25 metres
Beam7 metres
Decks2
Capacity200
Crew3

The River class is a ferry type operated by Transdev Sydney Ferries on Sydney Harbour.

Contents

History

Interior passenger saloon of Kurt Fearnley Kurt Fearnley ferry interior.jpg
Interior passenger saloon of Kurt Fearnley

In September 2017, Transport for NSW called for expressions of interest for four new ferries for Parramatta River ferry services. [1] However, after the bids were higher than expected, the project was shelved. [2]

Upon being awarded the contract to operate the Sydney Ferries concession in 2019, Transdev Sydney Ferries placed an order for 10 new ferries to be built in Indonesia. [3]

The first four arrived in Newcastle in August 2020 for final works and trials. The ferries were purchased to replace the SuperCat and HarbourCat-class Ferries. [4] [5] All were named after artists, athletes and authors. [6]

The first entered service in October 2021, confined to daytime service until deemed suitable for night time operations. [7]

In late 2022 the government announced it was looking for tenders to build a new fleet of Parramatta River-class ferries to replace the RiverCat-class ferries

Issues and delays

A number of issues and defects on the ferries, totalling 43, delayed the service commencement dates by well over a year.[ when? ]

Identified issues and delays on the ferries included the presence of asbestos, sub-standard fit and finish, wheelhouse window angles making night operations dangerous, engine stalling, potential of fires or electrocution caused by sub standard electrical equipment and sub-standard steering components. [8] [9]

Vessels

NameCall sign MMSI Shipyard
number
Keel laid Namesake
Ethel Turner457589503106710H38825 February 2020 Ethel Turner
Ruth Park457593503106750H38929 February 2020 Ruth Park
Cheryl Salisbury457597503106690H39023 March 2020 Cheryl Salisbury
Lauren Jackson458798503106730H39123 March 2020 Lauren Jackson
Liz Ellis457600503106740H39223 March 2020 Liz Ellis
Kurt Fearnley457594503106720H39323 March 2020 Kurt Fearnley
Olive Cotton457555503100450H39525 August 2019 Olive Cotton
Margaret Olley 457590503100470H39625 August 2019 Margaret Olley
Esme Timbery457595503100460H39725 August 2019 Esme Timbery
Ruby Langford Ginibi457591503100480H39825 August 2019 Ruby Langford Ginibi

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Light rail in Sydney</span>

The Sydney light rail network is a light rail/tram system serving the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The network consists of four passenger routes, the L1 Dulwich Hill, L2 Randwick, L3 Kingsford and L4 Westmead & Carlingford lines. It comprises 58 stops and a system length of approximately 36.7 km (22.8 mi), making it the second largest light rail network in Australia behind the tram network in Melbourne, Victoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Transit Authority</span> NSW Government public transit authority

The State Transit Authority of New South Wales, also referred to as State Transit, was an agency of the Government of New South Wales operating bus services in Sydney. Superseding the Urban Transit Authority in 1989, it was also responsible for the provision of ferry services in Sydney until 2004 and bus and ferry services in Newcastle until 2017. It ceased trading after 2 April 2022 with its remaining operations to be contracted out by Transport for NSW to replacement operators. As of November 2024, the New South Wales Government has not yet put forward a Bill for the dissolution of the State Transit Authority of NSW.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney Ferries</span> Public transport ferry service

Sydney Ferries is the public transport ferry network serving the city of Sydney, New South Wales. Services operate on Sydney Harbour and the connecting Parramatta River. The network is controlled by the New South Wales Government's transport authority, Transport for NSW, and is part of the authority's Opal ticketing system. In 2017–18, 15.3 million passenger journeys were made on the network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Circular Quay ferry wharf</span> Complex of wharves in Australia

Circular Quay ferry wharf is a complex of wharves at Circular Quay, on Sydney Cove, that serves as the hub for the Sydney Harbour ferry network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buses in Sydney</span> Bus networks in Sydney, Australia

Buses account for close to six per cent of trips each day in the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, forming a key part of the city's public transport system. The network initially evolved from a privately operated system of feeder services to railway stations in the outer suburbs, and a publicly operated network of bus services introduced to replace trams in the inner suburbs. The bus network has undergone major reforms since the 2000s–2010s, with the New South Wales Government taking responsibility for route and fare-setting, opening contracts for most routes up to competitive tendering, and introducing more cross-suburban services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milsons Point ferry wharf</span> Sydney Ferries ferry wharf

Milsons Point ferry wharf is located on the northern side of Sydney Harbour serving the Sydney suburb of Milsons Point. It is next to Luna Park and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It is served by Sydney Ferries Parramatta River and Pyrmont Bay services operated by First Fleet and RiverCat class ferries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manly ferry services</span> Ferry services on Sydney Harbour

Manly ferry services operate on Sydney Harbour connecting the Sydney suburb of Manly with Circular Quay in the CBD, a journey of seven nautical miles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parramatta ferry wharf</span> Sydney Ferries wharf

Parramatta ferry wharf is located near the source of the Parramatta River, serving the city of Parramatta, just outside Sydney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balmain ferry wharf</span> Sydney Ferries ferry wharf

Balmain ferry wharf is located on Sydney Harbour serving the Sydney suburb of Balmain. It is served by Sydney Ferries Cockatoo Island services operating between Circular Quay and Cockatoo Island, with some peak F3 services operating to Chiswick. The single wharf is served by First Fleet class ferries for the F8, and RiverCat,River and Parramatta River class ferries for the F3

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transdev Sydney Ferries</span> Operator of ferries in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Transdev Sydney Ferries, formerly Harbour City Ferries, is a subsidiary of Transdev Australasia, and is the operator of ferry services in the Sydney Ferries network since July 2012. It currently operates the ferry network under a contract until June 2028. As part of the operation contract, Transdev Sydney Ferries leases both the Balmain Maintenance Facility and the fleet from the government agency Sydney Ferries.

Transdev Australasia is an operator of bus, ferry, light rail and heavy rail services in Australia and New Zealand. It is a subsidiary of French-based, international Transdev. It was formed in 2013 by grouping the operations of Veolia Transport Australia and former Transdev together, as a result of the global rebranding from Veolia Transdev to Transdev.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyrmont Bay ferry services</span> Commuter ferry service in Sydney, Australia

The Pyrmont Bay ferry service, officially known as F4 Pyrmont Bay, is a commuter ferry service in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Part of the Sydney Ferries network, it is operated by Transdev Sydney Ferries and services the Lavender Bay and Darling Harbour areas. It began operation on 25 October 2020, and replaced the western half of the F4 Cross Harbour ferry service. Emerald-class ferries and SuperCat ferries operate the service.

Sydney RiverCat

The Sydney RiverCats are a class of catamarans operated by Transdev Sydney Ferries on the Parramatta River.

Sydney SuperCats

The Sydney SuperCats were a class of catamarans operated by Transdev Sydney Ferries on Sydney Harbour.

Emerald-class ferry

The Emerald-class ferry is a class of ferries operated by Sydney Ferries on Sydney Harbour. There is capacity for about 400 passengers, improved accessibility for people with disabilities, Wi-Fi access, luggage and bicycle storage areas and charging stations/USB ports for electronic devices.

The 2010s saw many developments relating to transport in the Australian city of Sydney. The decade saw a substantial investment in infrastructure, including a new airport, motorway projects, light rail lines, Australia's first metro system, the new Waratah fleet and the demise of the non-air conditioned S sets from the rail network. Planning and branding of public transport services became substantially more centralised.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cockatoo Island ferry services</span> Commuter ferry service in Sydney, Australia

The Cockatoo Island ferry service, officially known as F8 Cockatoo Island, is a commuter ferry service in Sydney, Australia. Part of the Sydney Ferries network, it is operated by Transdev Sydney Ferries and services the Balmain, Greenwich, Woolwich and Cockatoo Island areas of Sydney Harbour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of Sydney Harbour ferries</span>

Sydney Harbour ferry services date back to the first years of Sydney's European settlement. Slow and sporadic boats ran along the Parramatta River from Sydney to Parramatta and served the agricultural settlements in between. By the mid-1830s, speculative ventures established regular services. From the late-nineteenth century the North Shore developed rapidly. A rail connection to Milsons Point took alighting ferry passengers up the North Shore line to Hornsby, New South Wales via North Sydney. Without a bridge connection, increasingly large fleets of steamers serviced the cross harbour routes and in the early twentieth century, Sydney Ferries Limited was the largest ferry operator in the world.

Parramatta River-class ferry Type of ferry

The Parramatta River class are a ferry type operated by Transdev Sydney Ferries on Sydney Harbour.

References

  1. New ferries for the Parramatta River Transport for NSW 26 September 2017
  2. Purchase of new ferries for Sydney's busy Parramatta River shelved Archived 2019-01-02 at the Wayback Machine Sydney Morning Herald 1 January 2019
  3. McCubbing, Gus (2019-10-23). "Anger as Syd ferries to be built overseas". Canberra Times . Retrieved 2022-03-13.
  4. Asbestos found on new Sydney ferry vessels Nine News 21 August 2020
  5. Rabe, Tom (2020-08-23). "'Duck!': The problem with Sydney's new ferries". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 2022-02-21. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
  6. Artists, authors and athletes celebrated on new River Class ferries Transport for NSW 2 October 2020
  7. First River Class ferry now in service Transport for NSW 13 October 2021
  8. Rabe, Tom (2021-05-26). "'Cheap knock-offs': More delays for new, problem-plagued Sydney ferries". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 2021-12-01. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
  9. Cabinet, Department of Premier and (2023-06-26). "Australian-made ferries to take to Parramatta River | NSW Government".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)