The current boats are now over 45 years old, and must be coming
towards the end of their life. What is going to happen to the derry,
will new boats be built, will it be replaced by a new bridge or
tunnel, or will it simply be closed?

Also, when riding on the 180 bus, between Lewisham and Abbey Wood,
I've noticed two enclosed areas of water just to the west of the
ferry, close to where the spare boat is kept when a single boat
service is operating. Only the Easternmost of these can easily be
seen from the bus, as the other is largely hidden by a building, but
they can both be seen on Google Earth, and there is some sort of
building between them. The water in them seems to be separated from
the river by a concrete wall now, but they look rather like small dry
docks. were they used to maintain the old ferries possibly; they look
about the right size, and if so why were they walled off from the
river? Or were they something completely different?

On Apr 5, 9:44*pm, wrote:
The current boats are now over 45 years old, and must be coming
towards the end of their life. *What is going to happen to the derry,
will new boats be built, will it be replaced by a new bridge or
tunnel, or will it simply be closed?

I think there was some suggestion that when the new Thames Gateway
bridge opened, the Woolwich Ferry service would be withdrawn - so
perhaps in light of this there wasn't any particular long term
planning going on with regards to replacement ferries. However whilst
ex-Mayor Ken was keen on it, Mayor Boris however is not, and he has
decided not to pursue the project (I can't recall his pre-election
position on it, if indeed there was one) and so it's not going to
happen. At least, not any time soon - I can well imagine it
resurfacing in years to come.

I was never entirely sure what to think about the Thames Gateway
bridge - to simplify massively, on the one hand it would've helped to
connect up London better and provide improved access to areas that
feel a little stranded (in particular Thamesmead, somewhere that needs
a boost), on the other hand it would have encouraged car journeys -
even with dedicated bus and cycle lanes - and possibly led to some
considerable traffic congestion on the southern side around
Thamesmead, Plumstead and Woolwich.

Mizter T wrote:

I think there was some suggestion that when the new Thames Gateway
bridge opened, the Woolwich Ferry service would be withdrawn - so
perhaps in light of this there wasn't any particular long term
planning going on with regards to replacement ferries. However whilst
ex-Mayor Ken was keen on it, Mayor Boris however is not, and he has
decided not to pursue the project (I can't recall his pre-election
position on it, if indeed there was one) and so it's not going to
happen. At least, not any time soon - I can well imagine it
resurfacing in years to come.

For what it's worth there's recently been a council by-election in the Royal
Docks ward which covers the north side of the ferry (the ward consists of
Silvertown and North Woolwich - i.e. all of Newham south of the Royal Docks
themselves) and I (on the Conservative campaign team) can't remember the
ferry coming up as a local issue at all, though I'm not sure how much local
use there is of it that isn't covered by the foot tunnel or DLR (I did see
quite a bit of foot traffic using the ferry). And yes, this isn't entirely a
Newham council matter but local elections don't always stick to issues
within the competence of the authority being elected.

On Apr 5, 10:23*pm, Mizter T wrote:

On Apr 5, 9:44*pm, wrote:

The current boats are now over 45 years old, and must be coming
towards the end of their life. *What is going to happen to the derry,
will new boats be built, will it be replaced by a new bridge or
tunnel, or will it simply be closed?

I think there was some suggestion that when the new Thames Gateway
bridge opened, the Woolwich Ferry service would be withdrawn - so
perhaps in light of this there wasn't any particular long term
planning going on with regards to replacement ferries. However whilst
ex-Mayor Ken was keen on it, Mayor Boris however is not, and he has
decided not to pursue the project (I can't recall his pre-election
position on it, if indeed there was one) and so it's not going to
happen. At least, not any time soon - I can well imagine it
resurfacing in years to come.


Just to clarify my comments - the project Mayor Boris is not keen on
is the Thames Gateway Bridge, which was being pursued by TfL under
Ken's mayoralty but is no longer under the new administration. AFAIK
there is no 'project' as such with regards to replacement boats for
the Woolwich ferry service - obviously at some point they'll need
replacing if the ferry is to continue running into the future, however
I've no idea how long the potential lifespan of the existing boats
actually is. If they're running OK now then I can't see any particular
urgency to replace them.

This TfL webpage would certainly have read somewhat differently a year
ago:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/proj...emes/2203.aspx

wrote:

Also, when riding on the 180 bus, between Lewisham and Abbey Wood,
I've noticed two enclosed areas of water just to the west of the
ferry, close to where the spare boat is kept when a single boat
service is operating. Only the Easternmost of these can easily be
seen from the bus, as the other is largely hidden by a building, but
they can both be seen on Google Earth, and there is some sort of
building between them. The water in them seems to be separated from
the river by a concrete wall now, but they look rather like small dry
docks. were they used to maintain the old ferries possibly; they look
about the right size, and if so why were they walled off from the
river? Or were they something completely different?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolwich_Dockyard

Mizter T gurgled happily, sounding much like they
were saying:

If they're running OK now then I can't see any particular urgency to
replace them.

Big if. I seem to remember them being a bag of unreliable ****e when I
used to use 'em semi-regularly whilst studenting in Woolwich damn-near 20
yrs ago...

On 5 Apr, 21:44, wrote:
The current boats are now over 45 years old, and must be coming
towards the end of their life. *What is going to happen to the derry,
will new boats be built, will it be replaced by a new bridge or
tunnel, or will it simply be closed?

Also, when riding on the 180 bus, between Lewisham and Abbey Wood,
I've noticed two enclosed areas of water just to the west of the
ferry, close to where the spare boat is kept when a single boat
service is operating. *Only the Easternmost of these can easily be
seen from the bus, as the other is largely hidden by a building, but
they can both be seen on Google Earth, and there is some sort of
building between them. *The water in them seems to be separated from
the river by a concrete wall now, but they look rather like small dry
docks. *were they used to maintain the old ferries possibly; they look
about the right size, and if so why were they walled off from the
river? *Or were they something completely different?

Both the ferry and the foot tunnel were being well used last sunday.
The DLR less so; I think it was running a reduced service service only
to Canning town.
Ferry will still be needed if a bridge isnt built IMHO

On 7/4/09 19:03, in article
, "kytelly"
wrote:


Both the ferry and the foot tunnel were being well used last sunday.
The DLR less so; I think it was running a reduced service service only
to Canning town.
Ferry will still be needed if a bridge isnt built IMHO

I used the tunnel late afternoon that day, for the first time in several
years. There were several other people walking in he same direction as me,
Northbound, but I didn't see anybody going the other way until I passed to
people on the stairs at the North end.

When the DLR first opened, before the weekend closures for engineering works
and later the extension to Lewisham, the Greenwich tunnel used to get very
busy on Sunday afternoons. Who were the main users of the tunnels when
first built, dockers on their way to work?

On Apr 7, 9:49*pm, Stephen Furley wrote:

On 7/4/09 19:03, in article
, "kytelly"
wrote:

Both the ferry and the foot tunnel were being well used last sunday.
The DLR less so; I think it was running a reduced service service only
to Canning town.
Ferry will still be needed if a bridge isnt built IMHO

I used the tunnel late afternoon that day, for the first time in several
years. *There were several other people walking in he same direction as me,
Northbound, but I didn't see anybody going the other way until I passed to
people on the stairs at the North end.

When the DLR first opened, before the weekend closures for engineering works
and later the extension to Lewisham, the Greenwich tunnel used to get very
busy on Sunday afternoons. *Who were the main users of the tunnels when
first built, dockers on their way to work?

Yes - my understanding is that both foot tunnels were built with
dockers and associated workers in mind. There was a ferry service from
Greenwich to the Isle of Dogs before the foot tunnel opened.

On Apr 7, 7:03*pm, kytelly wrote:
On 5 Apr, 21:44, wrote:

The current boats are now over 45 years old, and must be coming
towards the end of their life. *What is going to happen to the derry,
will new boats be built, will it be replaced by a new bridge or
tunnel, or will it simply be closed?

Also, when riding on the 180 bus, between Lewisham and Abbey Wood,
I've noticed two enclosed areas of water just to the west of the
ferry, close to where the spare boat is kept when a single boat
service is operating. *Only the Easternmost of these can easily be
seen from the bus, as the other is largely hidden by a building, but
they can both be seen on Google Earth, and there is some sort of
building between them. *The water in them seems to be separated from
the river by a concrete wall now, but they look rather like small dry
docks. *were they used to maintain the old ferries possibly; they look
about the right size, and if so why were they walled off from the
river? *Or were they something completely different?

Both the ferry and the foot tunnel were being well used last sunday.
The DLR less so; I think it was running a reduced service service only
to Canning town.
Ferry will still be needed if a bridge isnt built IMHO

Without a doubt a continuing ferry service is essential if there's not
to be a bridge - it's a critical link in a major trunk route after all
(between the North and South Circular roads), and like bicycles, HGVs
are not welcome either on the DLR, but unlike bicycles, they're not
welcome in the foot tunnel either.

The DLR is never going to displace the tunnel and ferry for foot
passengers who are just making local journeys - it's £1.60 a shot
after all! Nonetheless glad to here people are still making use of
shank's pony. Of course the ferry offers rather better views than the
glazed white tiles of the tunnel!