Woolwich Ferry

Woolwich Ferry

The south terminal of the Woolwich Ferry
Locale	Woolwich, London
Waterway	River Thames
Transit type	Passenger and vehicle ferry
Owner	London River Services
Operator	London River Services
Began operation	23 March 1889 (1889-03-23)
No. of lines	1
No. of vessels	2
No. of terminals	2
Daily ridership	7,100
Website	Official website

The Woolwich Ferry is a free vehicle and pedestrian ferry across the River Thames in East London, connecting Woolwich on the south bank with North Woolwich on the north.^[1] It is licensed and financed by London River Services, the maritime arm of Transport for London (TfL). Around two million passengers use the ferry each year.

A ferry has operated on the Thames at Woolwich since the 14th century, and commercial crossings operated intermittently until the mid-19th. The free service opened in 1889 after tolls were abolished on bridges to the west of London. Traffic increased in the 20th century because of the rise in motor vehicle traffic and it remained popular because of the lack of nearby bridges. Pedestrian use dropped after the construction of a parallel foot tunnel and the extension of the Docklands Light Railway to Woolwich Arsenal station. Alternatives such as the Thames Gateway Bridge and Gallions Reach Crossing have been proposed as replacements, but there are no plans to discontinue the Woolwich Ferry as long as there is demand.