The World’s First Public River Boat Service, and the World’s Longest Running Phantom Monitoring Installation: From Analogue to Digital!
Since first crossing the Thames in 1889, the Woolwich Ferry has been a vital part of London’s transport network.
Today, that legacy of reliability continues, supported by modern condition monitoring technology.
Installed in March 2019, the Phantom wireless system is now marking 7 years of continuous operation, making it one of the world’s earliest and longest-running installations of the Erbessd-Instruments systems in a marine environment.
But longevity alone isn’t the story – continuous evolution is.
CBM Partners has provided ongoing support to keep the system fully operational and aligned with changing demands, including:
- System optimisation for greater flexibility and reliability
- Software updates and platform improvements
- Hardware upgrades to enhance performance
This commitment ensures the system continues to deliver trusted, actionable data across critical ferry and auto-mooring assets.
Now, with a new 2-5 year contract secured, the future is clear. We are confident the system will reach double figures and beyond – continuing to adapt, improve, and support operations well into the next decade.
From a service that began in 1889 to a monitoring system entering its second decade, the focus remains the same: reliability, continuity, and keeping essential infrastructure moving.
