Fit-Out Continues at Wandsworth Riverside Lifeboat Station

New home for RNLI crews currently based in Chiswick takes shape

Workers on site at the new base. Picture: RNLI

August 5, 2026

Work is progressing rapidly at Wandsworth Riverside as the RNLI moves closer to opening its new lifeboat station on the Thames, a major upgrade that will transform conditions for one of the busiest rescue crews in the UK and Ireland. After 25 years operating from cramped shared premises in Chiswick, the crew is set to benefit from modern facilities designed to support 24/7 operations on one of the country’s most demanding waterways.

The fit-out of the new station is now well underway, creating generous spaces for crew operations, a large training and meeting room, and areas where volunteers can rest between their twelve-hour shifts. The design reflects the realities of life on the Thames, where incidents can occur at any hour and crews must be ready to respond instantly.

A new Visitors Centre will form a key part of the station, giving RNLI personnel a dedicated space to welcome school groups, clubs, community organisations and members of the public. With glazed doors that fold back onto a wide deck overlooking the river, the centre will allow water-safety education to spill outdoors, creating an open, accessible environment for learning about the RNLI’s work on the Thames and beyond.

Alongside the building works, improvements are being made to the existing pontoon to create dedicated berths for both the duty and standby lifeboats. Wandsworth Pier, which also serves the Thames Clipper river bus and residential moorings, is three miles downstream from Chiswick but closer to the majority of incidents attended by the crew. The new location is expected to reduce average response times by around one minute and twenty seconds — a significant gain on a river where seconds matter.

Before the station becomes fully operational, the RNLI will carry out a thorough testing programme of all equipment and services. We asked the charity if it could give a date for when the new station will become operational but it was unable to do so at this stage.

The move to Wandsworth has not been without setbacks. Originally planned for summer 2025, the transfer was postponed due to rising costs and technical issues with the building, which previously served as a sales office for a riverside development. The RNLI launched the Wandsworth Riverside Appeal to raise £2.7 million for the project, and while a major bequest covered most of the cost, the final £300,000 remained outstanding. Costs have since risen to an estimated £3.5 million, adding further pressure to the timeline.

Despite the delays, the new station promises a step change in capability for Chiswick RNLI. Since the Thames service began in 2002, the crew has attended more than 5,000 incidents and rescued over 2,500 people, making it the second busiest lifeboat station in the UK and Ireland. Entirely funded by public donations, the RNLI’s work on the river continues to be a vital part of London’s emergency response network.