Woolwich Ferry 5.01

The Woolwich Ferry is a free vehicle ferry service across the River Thames in East London, connecting Woolwich to the south with North Woolwich to the north. It is licensed and financed by London River Services, the maritime arm of Transport for London (TfL). The service is operated by Briggs Marine under licence from TfL and carries both foot passengers and vehicles. Around two million passengers use the ferry each year.There has been a ferry operating in Woolwich since the 14th century, and commercial crossings operated intermittently until the mid-19th century. The free service opened in 1889, following the abolition of tolls across bridges to the west of London. Traffic increased in the 20th century owing to the rise in motor vehicle use, and because of the lack of nearby fixed crossings of the Thames it has remained popular, although pedestrian use has dropped as a result of the construction of a parallel foot tunnel and the extension of the Docklands Light Railway through to Woolwich Arsenal station. Alternatives such as the Thames Gateway Bridge and the Gallions Reach Crossing have been proposed as replacements, but there are no immediate plans to discontinue the Woolwich Ferry as long as there is a demand.ServicesThe service links Woolwich in the Royal Borough of Greenwich with North Woolwich in the London Borough of Newham. It also links two ends of the inner London orbital road routes: the North Circular and the South Circular.