RiverCity Ferries

CityCat services began operating in November 1996 with a fleet of six high-speed catamarans.{{cite book |last1=De Vries |first1=Susanna |last2=de Vries |first2=Jake |date=2003 |title=Historic Brisbane: Convict Settlement to River City |url=https://boolarongpress.com.au/product/historic-brisbane/ |location=Brisbane |publisher=Pandanus Press |page=68 |isbn=0-9585408-4-5 |access-date=24 February 2025}} The service proved very popular with more than five million trips taken by 2004.

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.{{cite web |title=River City Ferries |url=https://www.rivercityferries.com.au/ |website=River City Ferries |access-date=9 September 2021 |archive-date=19 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210919173714/https://www.rivercityferries.com.au/ |url-status=live }} Not all CityCat services stop all stops, with some peak time express services operating.{{Queensland Timetables|CityCat}}

CityHopper is an inner city service between North Quay and Sydney Street, stopping at South Bank, Maritime Museum, Riverside and Holman Street.{{Queensland Timetables|CityHopper}}

Cross River consists of cross-river services at two locations.{{Queensland Timetables|Bulimba}}

• Bulimba {{En dash}} Teneriffe
• Holman Street {{En dash}} Riverside known as the Kangaroo Point Cross River Service.

• 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.[https://translink.com.au/service-updates/297251 New timetable for CityHopper and Cross River services] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116025713/https://translink.com.au/service-updates/297251 |date=16 November 2020 }} TransLink 26 October 2020{{Cite web|last=Stone|first=Lucy|date=2020-10-23|title=Council scuttles two Brisbane River ferry services permanently|url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/council-scuttles-two-brisbane-river-ferry-services-permanently-20201023-p5682b.html|access-date=2020-10-30|website=Brisbane Times|language=en|archive-date=1 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101143925/https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/council-scuttles-two-brisbane-river-ferry-services-permanently-20201023-p5682b.html|url-status=live}}
• The resumed services use the leased KittyCat catamarans.

RiverCity Ferries's fleet consists of 23 CityCats, five KittyCats and one CityFerry (out of service undergoing repair).[http://www.brisbaneferries.com.au/about-us-2/fast-facts/ Fast Facts] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227151329/http://www.brisbaneferries.com.au/about-us-2/fast-facts/ |date=27 February 2015 }} Transdev Brisbane Ferries All except the KittyCats are owned by Brisbane City Council; the KittyCats are leased from Captain Cook Cruises.

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{{Cite news|publisher=Brisbane Times|title=New CityCat honours Brisbane's flood heroes|access-date=4 October 2011|url=http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/new-citycat-honours-brisbanes-flood-heroes-20111003-1l57n.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005090605/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/new-citycat-honours-brisbanes-flood-heroes-20111003-1l57n.html|archive-date=5 October 2011|df=dmy-all}}). All CityCats are operated by a crew of three - a master, a deck hand and a ticket seller.{{cn|date=October 2022}}

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

Second generation CityCats have a capacity of 162 passengers.

Third generation CityCats have a capacity of 162 passengers.

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 [https://ausships.com/ Aus Ships Group].{{cite web|url=https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traffic-and-transport/public-transport/citycat-and-ferry-services/citycat-22|title=CityCat 22|publisher=Brisbane City Council|access-date=30 October 2020|archive-date=20 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820233930/https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traffic-and-transport/public-transport/citycat-and-ferry-services/citycat-22|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/multimillion-dollar-double-decker-citycat-to-be-built-20181106-p50ee3.html|title=Multimillion-dollar double-decker CityCat to be built|date=6 November 2018|access-date=20 December 2018|publisher=Brisbane Times|archive-date=21 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221041424/https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/multimillion-dollar-double-decker-citycat-to-be-built-20181106-p50ee3.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/cat-s-out-of-the-bag-first-look-at-brisbane-s-double-decker-citycat-20190820-p52iuf.html|title=Cat's out of the bag: First look inside Brisbane's double-decker CityCat|publisher=Brisbane Times|date=20 August 2019|access-date=30 October 2020|archive-date=20 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820233528/https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/cat-s-out-of-the-bag-first-look-at-brisbane-s-double-decker-citycat-20190820-p52iuf.html|url-status=live}}

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.{{cite news|title=Council cuts CityCat ties with 100-year-old Brisbane boat supplier|url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/council-cuts-citycat-ties-with-100-year-old-brisbane-boat-supplier-20191205-p53h9m.html|publisher=Brisbane Times|date=5 December 2019|access-date=30 October 2020|archive-date=6 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191206180351/https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/council-cuts-citycat-ties-with-100-year-old-brisbane-boat-supplier-20191205-p53h9m.html|url-status=live}}

File:AU-Q-Brisbane-KittyKat-Victoria-docked-2021.jpg

Five {{convert|12|m|ft|abbr=on}} 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,{{cite news|url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/kittycats-to-fill-in-for-suspended-cross-river-ferries-awaiting-repairs-20200906-p55ss5.html|title='KittyCats'|access-date=29 October 2020|archive-date=7 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200907020144/https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/kittycats-to-fill-in-for-suspended-cross-river-ferries-awaiting-repairs-20200906-p55ss5.html|url-status=live}} 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 {{convert|184|kW|abbr=on}} Cummins QSB engines with an economical normal service speed of {{convert|18|kn}} and a maximum speed of {{convert|24|kn}}.

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.

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 {{convert|86|kW|hp|abbr=on}} Perkins engine, with a maximum speed of {{convert|10|knots}} and is operated by a crew of one.

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 {{convert|15|m|ft}} long and carry 50 passengers, larger than the KittyCats but smaller than the CityCats.{{cite news|url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/new-gold-cityglider-bus-route-and-battery-powered-ferry-for-brisbane-20230614-p5dgfq.html|title=New Gold CityGlider bus route and battery-powered ferry for Brisbane|publisher=Brisbane Times|date=14 June 2023}}

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.[https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/council-scuttles-two-brisbane-river-ferry-services-permanently-20201023-p5682b.html Council scuttles two Brisbane River ferry services permanently] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101143925/https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/council-scuttles-two-brisbane-river-ferry-services-permanently-20201023-p5682b.html |date=1 November 2020 }} Brisbane Times 23 October 2020

Restoration of these ferries was mooted but later abandoned due to cost and their 30+ year age; they were auctioned off in August 2022.{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-17/new-owners-of-brisbane-wooden-hull-cross-river-ferries/101656236 |title=New owners for Brisbane's wooden hull cross-river ferries after auction process |website=ABC News |date=17 November 2022 |access-date=6 August 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230219214017/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-17/new-owners-of-brisbane-wooden-hull-cross-river-ferries/101656236 |archive-date=19 February 2023}}

These were powered by {{convert|134|kW|hp|abbr=on}} Scania engines, with a maximum speed of {{convert|12|knots}} and were operated by a crew of one.

These were powered by {{convert|86|kW|hp|abbr=on}} Perkins engines, with a maximum speed of {{convert|10|knots}} and were operated by a crew of one.

Kalparrin was the only ferry to survive withdrawal of the fleet due to having a steel hull instead of timber.

The wharves are given in geographical order, heading upstream along the Brisbane River.

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Category:Companies based in Brisbane

Category:Ferry companies of Queensland

Category:Public transport in Brisbane

Category:Translink (Queensland)

Category:Transport companies established in 2020

Category:2020 establishments in Australia