London-Tilbury (England)

Tilbury is a port city in Thurrock (Essex, England). Founded in late-19th century, this is major deep-water harbour port that handles bulk cargo ships, car carriers, containerships and also timber traffic. Following Felixstowe and Southampton, Tilbury is currently ranked UK's 3rd largest container port, UK's main paper importing port (including newsprint) and UK's fastest growing seaport. London's other cruise port is Greenwich.

The majority of the city's inhabitants were employed in the docks until the introduction of standardised containers. The resulting loss of jobs was never made up, and today Tilbury has high unemployment and employment and education prospects are widely perceived as poor.

Port Tilbury

Tilbury port is on Thames River, and is London's principal (deep-water) port. Port facilities include terminals for handling vessels shipping to London bulk cargoes, containers and cars.

Seaport's construction was approved in 1882 when the British Parliament allowed docks at Tilbury to be built. The port's first ship docked in April 1886. Tilbury's main dock was on Gravesend Reach, and connected with three branching docks (East, Central, West). The port also had 2 dry docks.

In 1909, the port became part of the company "Port of London Authority", which made major infrastructure improvements in 1921 and 1929. The improvements included new lock (linking the docks directly to the river) and new (3rd) drydock.

In the period 1963–66 was built a 4th branch dock and tidal basin was closed (eventually filled in). In 1969 a new grain terminal was built. In 1967 was opened a new container cargo port. In 1978, a new riverside berth for large boxships was opened. In 1992, Port Tilbury was privatized and became part of Forth Ports.

"Port of Tilbury Group" reopened the one-time passenger landing stage as "London Cruise Terminal", though it's no longer served by the railway.

In 2017, the London-Tilbury cruise port had scheduled 64 ship calls, of which 55 were from CMV. For 2018, the port had booked 71 calls. As of 2017, the largest cruise liner in Tilbury is the TUI ship Mein Schiff 3 (docked on Sept 12, 2017). The 2014-launched Schiff 3 vessel has LOA length of 960 ft (293 m) and max passenger capacity 2700 (plus 1000 crew).

On February 26, 2018, P&O Ferries announced company's agreement with Forth Ports to use for berthing the new Thames River berth at Port Tilbury (read more in the "Terminal" section).

In April 2022 starts operations (entirely based on homeporting in Tilbury) the new brand "Ambassador Cruise Line" with its first ship Ambience (fka Pacific Dawn). The company offers roundtrips to ports in Northern Europe, Iceland, Greenland, Canada, the Canaries, the Caribbean (including Cuba).

Port Tilbury2

On February 20, 2019, the port owner (Forth Ports) received official development consent to build the new port Tilbury2. The new terminal is adjacent to the current port in Thurrock (land size 930 acres / 1,5 mi2 / 3,8 km2). Port Tilbury2 is sized 152 acres (0,23 mi2 / 0,6 km2) and on the location of the ex Tilbury Power Station.

New port's construction works started in early-March 2019, with scheduled completion in 2020-Q3. The project was privately funded. In late-October 2019 the project joined Lafarge Tarmac - 2013-founded UK company (merger of Lafarge France with Tarmac UK) specializing in building materials, construction, maintenance, and waste services. Lafarge Tarmac was contracted to build onsite aggregate processing and manufacturing facilities and supply all raw and processed construction materials (including asphalt and concrete).

Tilbury2 will be UK’s largest ferry port and also UK’s biggest terminal for construction materials. Port's expansion is mainly due to rising demand from UK’s construction industry, import-export cars and increased Ro-Ro ferry traffic UK-Europe (consumer goods, perishables, steel).

TheE GBP 200 million (EUR 231m / USD 261m) project includes the construction of new rail-road connections, a deepwater berth (jetty and pontoon), dedicated terminal for construction materials (import, distribution, processing-manufacturing), rail terminal (with capacity to handle freight trains with max-length 775 m / 2543 ft), storage areas for goods, parking areas for cars. Tilbury2's RO-RO ferry terminal (partnership with P&O Ferries) will also serve the import-export of TEU-containers and trailers.

Tilbury - Gravesend ferry

In May 2017, the company Jetstream Tours started Thames River crossing ferry operations (between Tilbury and Gravesend) with one high-speed trimaran vessel named "Thames Swift" (formerly "Martin Chuzzlewhit"). Jetstream Tours company operates the new ferry service under a temporary contract (supported financially by Thurrock and Kent County councils) and maintains the old 6-day schedule (Monday-Saturday) the whole year-round.

• During ferry hours operates a bus service (bus line 99) from Tilbury Landing stage to Tilbury Town station. From Gravesend Town Pier, at approx 10 min walking distance is the Gravesend station.
• Ferry fares remained unchanged. Ticket prices are as follows (in brackets - adult / kids fare): Single (GBP 4 / 2), Peak Return (GBP 5 / 2,50), Off-Peak Return (GBP 3 / 2), and Saver 10 (GBP 22 / 11).
• Kids fares apply to children 5-15 yo. Kids under 5 travel free of charge, but must be accompanied by a fare-paying passenger. No more than 4 kids under 5 can travel with one fare-paying passenger.
• Peak fares apply between 5:40 - 9:15 am and between 4:15 - 7:10 pm.
• "Saver 10" ticket allows you to buy in advance  a book of 10 river crossings (either peak or off-peak). The ticket has no expiry date.
• The Thames Swift ship (capacity 50 passengers) continues to accept passengers with bicycles, but can't accommodate motorcycles of any size (foot and bicycle only). Pets (including dogs) travel free of charge, but the animal must be at all times in a carry cage or on a lead.

The ferry service is between "Port of Tilbury Landing Stage" and "Gravesend Town Pier". The pier is owned by Gravesham council and uses a pontoon (via partnership with Kent County Council). The river crossing service Tilbury-Gravesend (previously operated by "Lower Thames and Medway Passenger Boat Company") is from 2002.

London-Tilbury cruise terminal