RiverCity Ferries
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 the Brisbane City Council. The company won the contract from the previous operator, Transdev [Brisbane Ferries].
Services
CityCat
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 ferry wharf|UQ St Lucia] to Hamilton ferry wharf|Northshore Hamilton] calling at West End, Guyatt Park, Regatta, Milton, North Quay, South Bank, QUT [Gardens Point ferry wharf|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
KittyCat services operate cross-river between the following locations:Fleet
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.CityCats
The CityCat vessels are catamarans, and named after the Aboriginal place names for various parts of the Brisbane River and adjacent areas. All CityCats are operated by a crew of three - a master, a deck hand and a ticket seller.First generation
First generation CityCats have a capacity of 149 passengers. These are to be replaced by additional fourth generation vessels.| Name | MMSI | Call sign | Builder | Launched | Withdrawn | Namesake | Reference | Wrap Theme | Image |
| Kurilpa | 503575300 | 11930QE | Brisbane Ship Constructions | November 1996 | West End | Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white | |||
| Mirbarpa | 503575600 | 12012QE | Brisbane Ship Constructions | November 1996 | Indooroopilly | Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white | |||
| Barrambin | 503575500 | 12013QE | Brisbane Ship Constructions | November 1996 | January 2021 | Breakfast Creek | Commemoration of 20 Years of CityCat services | ||
| Tugulawa | 503575400 | 12014QE | Brisbane Ship Constructions | November 1996 | Bulimba | Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white | |||
| Mianjin | 503575800 | 12132QE | Brisbane Ship Constructions | December 1996 | January 2021 | Gardens Point | Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white | ||
| Binkinba | 503575700 | 12133QE | Brisbane Ship Constructions | December 1996 | New Farm | Brisbane Bullets basketball team | |||
| Mooroolbin | 503575900 | 20481QE | Brisbane Ship Constructions | October 1998 | Hamilton Sandbank | Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white | |||
| Baneraba | 503576100 | 20854QE | Brisbane Ship Constructions | December 1998 | Toowong | Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white |
Second generation
Second generation CityCats have a capacity of 162 passengers.| Name | MMSI | Call sign | Builder | Launched | Withdrawn | Namesake | Reference | Wrap Theme | Image |
| Beenung-urrung | 503576200 | 26483QE | Norman R Wright & Sons | August 2004 | 1 March 2022 Sunk during the 2022 eastern Australia floods | Highgate Hill | Brisbane Lions AFL team | ||
| Tunamun | 503576300 | 26579QE | Norman R Wright & Sons | June 2005 | Petrie Bight | Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white | |||
| Meeandah | 503576400 | 28744QE | Norman R Wright & Sons | February 2008 | Meeandah | Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white | |||
| Wilwinpa | 503576500 | 28744QE | Norman R Wright & Sons | June 2008 | Old Observatory | Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white | |||
| Ya-wa-gara | 503576600 | 27885QE | Norman R Wright & Sons | November 2008 | Breakfast Creek | Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white | |||
| Mahreel | 503576700 | 27885QE | Norman R Wright & Sons | April 2009 | Spring Hill | Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white |
Third generation
Third generation CityCats have a capacity of 162 passengers.| Name | MMSI | Call sign | Builder | Launched | Namesake | Reference | Wrap Theme | Image |
| Kuluwin | 503576800 | 29438QE | Norman R Wright & Sons | February 2010 | Wooloowin | Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white | ||
| Gootcha | 503576900 | 29440QE | Norman R Wright & Sons | July 2010 | Toowong | Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white | ||
| Walan | 503577100 | 29439QE | Norman R Wright & Sons | December 2010 | Herston | Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white | ||
| Mudherri | 503577200 | 29437QE | Norman R Wright & Sons | July 2011 | Murarrie | Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white | ||
| Spirit of Brisbane | 503586200 | 29436QE | Norman R Wright & Sons | October 2011 | Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white | |||
| Nar-dha | 503017210 | A3K0202 | Norman R Wright & Sons | November 2014 | Nudgee | Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white | ||
| Gilwunpa | 503025670 | 32038QE | Norman R Wright & Sons | June 2015 | Nundah | Brisbane City Council's corporate colours of blue, yellow and white |
Fourth generation
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 .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.
| Name | MMSI | Call sign | Builder | Launched | Namesake | Reference | Image |
| Yoogera | 503092890 | 456106 | Aus Ships | October 2019 | Mouth of Breakfast Creek | ||
| Neville Bonner | 503102970 | 457882 | Aus Ships | August 2020 | Neville Bonner | ||
| Mianjin II | 503110450 | 458416 | Aus Ships | May 2021 | Gardens Point | ||
| Barrambin II | 503121140 | 458624 | Aus Ships | Breakfast Creek | |||
| Mooroolbin II | 503131370 | 459861 | Aus Ships | May 2022 | Hamilton Sandbank | ||
| Kurilpa II | 503138850 | 459862 | Aus Ships | December 2022 | West End | ||
| Binkinba II | 503149810 | 461419 | Aus Ships | July 2023 | New Farm | ||
| Tuguluwa II | 503162010 | 461417 | Aus Ships | April 2024 | Bulimba | ||
| Baneraba II | 503178760 | 464282 | Aus Ships | March 2025 | Toowong | ||
| Mirbarpa II | 503188570 | 464908 | Aus Ships | Indooroopilly |
KittyCats
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 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.
| Name | MMSI | Call sign | Builder | Launched | Former name | Image |
| Victoria | 503047610 | 454605 | Richardson Devine Marine | 2017 | Cockle Bay | |
| Taylor | 503047620 | 444165 | Richardson Devine Marine | 2017 | Blackwattle Bay | |
| Albert | 503076850 | 455645 | Harwood Marine | 2018 | White Bay | |
| Melany | 503076860 | 455653 | Harwood Marine | 2018 | Pyrmont Bay | |
| Eleanor | 452393 |
EVCats
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.Former fleet
Monohull ferries
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.CityHopper
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.| Name | Call sign | Builder | Launched | Namesake | Passengers | Image |
| Mermaid | 4372QEC | Norman Park Boat Builders | 1988 | HMS Mermaid (1817), ship used by John Oxley who explored the Brisbane River in December 1823 | 78 | |
| Doomba | 4902QE | Norman R Wright & Sons | 1989 | SS Doomba | 78 | |
| Otter | 4908QE | Norman R Wright & Sons | 1989 | HMQS Otter | 78 |
CityFerry
These were powered by Perkins engines, with a maximum speed of and were operated by a crew of one.| Name | Call sign | Builder | Launched | Namesake | Passengers | Image |
| Bulimba | 959QE | Norman R Wright & Sons | 1984 | Bulimba | 47 | |
| Lucinda | 1185QE | Norman Park Boat Builders | 1986 | Lucinda | 47 | |
| Koopa | 1124QE | Norman Park Boat Builders | 1986 | SS Koopa, the Bribie Island ferry from 1912 to 1963 | 47 | |
| Gayundah | 1283QE | Norman Park Boat Builders | 1986 | HMQS Gayundah | 47 | |
| John Oxley | 6950QE | Norman R Wright & Sons | 1990 | John Oxley | 47 | |
| Kalparrin | 9570QE | Queensland Port Services | 1993 | An Aboriginal word meaning "to help carry a load" | 47 |