RiverCity Ferries is a public transport company which commenced operating ferry services in Brisbane on 4 November 2020. It is a subsidiary of the Kelsian Group.
RiverCity Ferries operates 36 vessels serving 22 wharves on the Brisbane River under a ten-year contract (with an optional five-year extension) with the Brisbane City Council. The company won the contract from the previous operator, Transdev Brisbane Ferries.
CityCat services began operating in November 1996 with a fleet of six high-speed catamarans. 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, Howard Smith Wharves, Sydney Street, Mowbray Park, New Farm Park, Hawthorne, Bulimba, Teneriffe, Bretts Wharf and Apollo Road. Not all CityCat services stop all stops, with some peak time express services operating.
KittyCat services operate cross-river between the following locations:
RiverCity Ferries's fleet consists of 27 CityCats and 5 KittyCats. The CityCats 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).
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.
Ten 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 Aus Ships Group.
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.
Five catamarans, nicknamed KittyCats, have been leased from RiverCity Ferries sister company Captain Cook Cruises in Sydney since November 2020 to operate the cross river services after the monohulled ferries were withdrawn. The first, MV Cockle Bay, arrived in Brisbane in September 2020. 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 Cummins QSB engines with an economical normal service speed of and a maximum speed of .
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.
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 long and carry 50 passengers, larger than the KittyCats but smaller than the CityCats.
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. Restoration of these ferries was mooted but later abandoned due to cost and their 30+ year age; they were auctioned off in August 2022.
These were powered by Scania engines, with a maximum speed of and were operated by a crew of one. From 28 January 2025, Brisbane's free CityHopper service ended. Cross River 'KittyCat' services now operate with standard $0.50 Translink fares.
These were powered by Perkins engines, with a maximum speed of and were operated by a crew of one.
The wharves are listed in geographical order, heading upstream along the Brisbane River.
Transport in Brisbane Transport for Brisbane