Lunch with Leon Episode 101: Sean Collins charts Thames Clippers' remarkable journey

Leon’s latest guest on the Lunch with Leon podcast is Sean Collins, Chief Executive of Uberboat by Thames Clippers, London's successful high-speed ferry service on the River Thames. Following the milestone 100th episode with Lord Peter Hendy, this episode takes listeners on a journey through the development of river transport in London.

The episode opens with Sean explaining how Thames Clippers emerged from the failures of previous river bus services. As a young man out of school, Sean was a crew member and then captain for an earlier river service that ultimately collapsed in the early 1990s.

"It all started through my disappointment," he explains, "I have had the benefit of seeing the failures,” he acknowledges, noting that Thames Clippers is essentially "the accumulation of everybody else's mistakes over the years."

After purchasing one boat that came on the market in 1999, Collins began building what would become Thames Clippers. A turning point came with the acquisition of the 220-seater Hurricane Clipper, "That really started making the numbers work and gave that capacity to drive footfall and the economics for a viable operation."

Sean reveals impressive growth statistics, with Thames Clippers now carrying 5.3 million passengers annually. Perhaps most remarkably, the service operates without public subsidy. "We do not draw on the public purse anymore, many similar operations in other major cities cost the state a lot of money."

Post-COVID travel patterns have shifted the service's dynamics. While eastern routes to areas like Canary Wharf have recovered to about 75% of pre-pandemic levels, western routes from Putney and Chelsea have exceeded 2019 numbers. Collins say this reflects broader changes in office occupancy.

"We hear of so many hospitality and retail elements struggling in [Canary Wharf and the city] because they haven't got that day-to-day footfall they used to."

Collins says that while Uber's name appears prominently on vessels, "it's not owned by Uber. It's still owned by Thames Clippers." The Uber partnership, which began in 2019 is their "first transport partner" after previous sponsorships from financial institutions like NatWest, KPMG, and MBNA.

Thames Clippers now operates three hybrid vessels that charge themselves during high-speed journeys and run on 100% battery power in central London. Collins shares that marine transport is "probably about 15 years behind land" in terms of electric technology, with the challenge of adding nine tonnes of batteries while maintaining vessel stability.

The new, ground-breaking electric boat - the Orbit Clipper – recently took to the water for the first time ahead of her launch to pedestrians and cyclists later this spring. The entirely electric cross-river ferry will replace the existing vessel between Surrey Quays and Canary Wharf, complemented by new segregated access for cyclists and pedestrians.

Throughout the conversation, both Leon and Sean celebrate the simple pleasure of river travel. As Leon puts it: "No better way to come to work on a sunny day out in the open, with a cup of hot chocolate from the on-board cafe and bar."

To listen to the full Episode, visit here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/sean-collins/id1526820389?i=1000698690691