Main content

Thames Clipper at 25: River secrets from the first captain

Sean Collins captained the boat himself when the service launched in 1999.

When Sean Collins co-founded the riverboat service Thames Clippers in 1999, people told him it would fail because the Jubilee Line had just opened running a similar route.

But Sean - a third generation waterman himself - had a hunch it would work. When they launched, Sean captained the boat himself, it had a capacity of 62, and called at three piers.

Now, 25 years later, he oversees a fleet that carries over 5 million passengers a year, calling at 24 piers, and employing over 500 people.

ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio London's Robert Elms has been speaking to Sean about his quest to resurrect river travel on the Thames.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Release date:

Available now

10 minutes