Major changes to Thames Clippers boat services

Thames Clippers has operated a commuter and off-peak riverbus service seven days a week since 2002.

Thanks to investment from the owners of the O2 arena, the company has been able to expand its fleet and is preparing to launch a new timetable with radically increased frequencies.

The service between Embankment Pier and Docklands via Bankside Pier and London Bridge City Pier currently operates every 40 minutes outside the rush hours. From Monday 12 November boats will run every 15 minutes and will also serve Waterloo Millennium Pier (at the London Eye) and the QEII Pier at the O2 arena in Greenwich.

The river service will also continue to operate until much later at night – 1am on weekday and 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.

However boats will no longer stop at Bankside Pier during peak commuter hours, a move that the company blames on "low demand". The pier is currently served between 7am and 8pm, but under the new timetable there will be no service at Bankside before 10am and after 5pm.

Bankside Pier will still also be served every 40 minutes by the Tate Boat which links Tate Modern with Millbank Pier for Tate Britain.

A new onboard catering service will launch by the end of the month.

Thanks to a deal between Thames Clippers and Transport for London, passengers with a valid Travelcard loaded on their Oyster card can claim a one-third discount on Thames Clippers fares.

The full timetable is available at www.thamesclippers.com