What is London VTS? Vessel Traffic Services | Port of London Authority
Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) is a marine traffic monitoring system established by a harbour or port authority, similar to air traffic control for aircraft. Safety of navigation – through the provision and delivery of an effective VTS, a significant contribution can be made to ensuring safety of navigation.
London VTS covers an area of some 600 square miles of waterway spanning 95 miles from Teddington to the North Sea.
The London VTS team ensures safety of life at sea, safe and efficient navigation, and protects the marine environment, adjacent shore areas, work sites and offshore installations from the possible adverse effects of maritime traffic.
London VTS operates from a state of the art, revolutionary, operations centre in Gravesend.
London VTS operates from two state of the art VTS Centres located at the Port Control Centre in Gravesend and at the Thames Barrier Navigation Centre in Woolwich.Â
Contacting London VTS
A team of dedicated VTS personnel oversee the Port of London on a 24/7 basis 365 days a year.
Operational enquiries should be referred to the relevant VTS Centre:
Phone our 24-hour VTS duty officer:
Thames Barrier Navigation Control, for matters between Teddington to Crayfordness: +44 (0)203 260 7711
Port Control Centre, for matters east of Crayfordness to the Outer Limits: +44 (0)147 456 2215
Radio London VTS over VHF:
Channel 14 Teddington - Crayfordness
Channel 68 Crayfordness - Sea Reach 4
Channel 69 Sea Reach 4 - Seaward Limit
Each VTS Centre is led by a VTS Supervisor with the delegated powers of the Harbour Master and is supported by a team of VTS Officers. VTS is supported by the Head of Port Coordination as well as Pilotage and Shipping Coordinators.
All VTS personnel are fully trained to the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) and Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) standards.
London VTS
Associated British Ports, London, UK
​Associated British Ports (ABP) is the UK’s largest ports group, owning and operating 21 ports around the country, and handling some 25 per cent of all seaborne trade in and out of Britain. In addition to handling shoreside operations, ABP is also the designated Statutory Harbour Authority in a number of locations, including for the nation’s busiest foreign-trading estuary, the Humber. The Humber contains no fewer than four of ABP’s busiest ports – Hull, Goole, Grimsby and Immingham – and shipping to these ports and others is controlled by Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) Humber.