MBNA Thames Clippers has seen two new 150 capacity catamarans loaded onto a vessel in Hobart, Tasmania, ahead of setting off on a 10,000 mile journey to the River Thames in London.

The two new boats represent a £6.5 million investment boost for London’s commuters and sightseers and they will provide additional capacity across the river transport network when they go into service in autumn 2015.

The clippers will add additional capacity to the popular Putney to Blackfriars commuting service.

The MBNA Thames Clippers river bus operation carried over 3.8 million passengers in 2014, avoiding the traffic and taking in the iconic sights in key locations such as London Eye, Embankment, Canary Wharf and Greenwich.

The two new boats are the first new additions to the fleet in seven years, and have been built to a unique technical specification to be able to handle the tides, shallow waters and low bridges of the River Thames.

They are 30 per cent more fuel efficient than any other vessel in the MBNA Thames Clipper fleet.