First service — Sydney, Australia
Zero-Emission Water Metro Urban Transport
Water Roads is building high-frequency electric hydrofoil transit for cities with underused waterways. The first service, Barangaroo to Rhodes in Sydney, is targeted for commercial launch in Q2 2027. The passenger is the main buyer: the fare leads five modelled revenue lines.
The Sydney project
Barangaroo to Rhodes: 14.4 km, designed to complete in 18 minutes against a 45-minute road-and-rail alternative. Eight vessels at a frequency you turn up for rather than plan around. Commercial launch is targeted for Q2 2027.
Waterway impact
Every Water Roads service is zero-emission. Carbon abatement and an environmental-performance index are modelled revenue lines alongside the farebox — each stated with its caveats rather than treated as a measured result.
From assessment to service
Water Roads assesses candidate cities by demand levels, waterway suitability and regulatory readiness before advancing to a service proposal. The pathway from assessment to a first service is set out for city and government partners.
Featured project
Sydney, Australia
In approvalsAdditional proposal requested
The route runs 14.4 km from Barangaroo to Rhodes. The crossing is designed to take 18 minutes — 27 minutes faster than the same trip by road or rail — with a fleet of 8 vessels behind it. Commercial launch is targeted for Q2 2027.
Read the Sydney service in fullWhat the fare buys
The Sydney figures in fullThe crossing is designed to take 18 minutes where the same trip by road or rail takes 45. The service draws on a fleet of 8 vessels, at a frequency you turn up for rather than plan around. No fare has been charged yet: commercial launch is targeted for Q2 2027.
From the Water Roads journal
January 2026
Speed Without Wake: Electric Foiling Commuter Vessels
How electric hydrofoil vessels cut the wake they generate compared with conventional ferries, and what that means for permitted operating speed and service frequency. The paper draws on operational data from Candela's Stockholm deployment of the P-12 vessel alongside the Sydney pilot design, and makes the case for higher-frequency, metro-style scheduling on a waterway.
PDF, no form or email required.
Read the paperVisitor interest, by city
Sydney
Australia
Rio de Janeiro
Brazil
Lisbon
Portugal
Tri-City
Poland
Lagos
Nigeria
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