Canary Wharf tube station
Encyclopedia
Canary Wharf tube station is a London Underground
station on the Jubilee Line
, between and . It is in Travelcard Zone 2
and was opened by Ken Livingstone
setting an escalator
in motion on 17 September 1999 as part of the Jubilee Line Extension
. It is maintained by Tube Lines
. Over 40 million people pass through the station each year, making it the busiest station on the London Underground outside Central London, and also the busiest which only serves a single line (the DLR station
is completely separate).
station at Canary Wharf
had been operating since 1987, by 1990 it was already
obvious that the DLR's capacity would soon be reached. The Jubilee Line's routing through Canary Wharf was intended to relieve some of this pressure.
The tube station was intended from the start to be the showpiece of the Jubilee Line Extension
, and its design was awarded in 1990 to the renowned architect Sir Norman Foster
. It was constructed, by a Tarmac Construction / Bachy UK Joint Venture, in a drained arm of the former dock, using a simple "cut and cover" method to excavate an enormous pit 24 metres (78 ft) deep and 265 metres (869 ft) long. The resulting large volume of the interior has led to it being compared to a cathedral
, and it has even been used to celebrate a wedding. However, the main reason for the station's enormous proportions was the great number of passengers predicted; as many as 50,000 daily. These predictions have been outgrown, with as many as 69,759 on weekdays recorded in 2006.
As with the other below-ground stations on the Jubilee Line extension, both station platforms are equipped with platform edge doors.
Canary Wharf station has increasingly become one of the busiest stations on the network, serving the ever-expanding Canary Wharf
business district. Although it shares a name with the Docklands Light Railway
station at Canary Wharf
, the two are not directly integrated (in fact, Heron Quays DLR station
is nearer at street level, and recent Transport for London maps now show this). All three stations are connected underground via shopping malls. Out-of-station interchange within twenty minutes between any two of the stations entails no additional charge.
Canary Wharf can be used to reverse trains from both the east and the west. There is a scissors crossover west of the station allowing trains from Stanmore to enter either the east/westbound platform at the station, and trains coming from Stratford enter the normal westbound platform and can use this scissors crossover to reverse back towards Stratford.
The station was used as a location for some scenes of Danny Boyle
's 2002 film 28 Days Later
.
line 1 will bring another rail connection to Canary Wharf and will also relieve pressure on the Jubilee line.
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
station on the Jubilee Line
Jubilee Line
The Jubilee line is a line on the London Underground , in the United Kingdom. It was built in two major sections—initially to Charing Cross, in central London, and later extended, in 1999, to Stratford, in east London. The later stations are larger and have special safety features, both aspects...
, between and . It is in Travelcard Zone 2
Travelcard Zone 2
Fare zone 2 is an inner zone of Transport for London's zonal fare system used for calculating the price of tickets for travel on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and, since 2007, on National Rail services.-Background:...
and was opened by Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
setting an escalator
Escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase – a conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.Escalators are used around the...
in motion on 17 September 1999 as part of the Jubilee Line Extension
Jubilee Line Extension
The Jubilee Line Extension is the extension of the London Underground Jubilee line from to through south and east London. An eastward extension of the Jubilee line was first proposed in the 1970s and a modified route was constructed during the 1990s...
. It is maintained by Tube Lines
Tube Lines
Tube Lines Limited, initially known as 'Infraco JNP', has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London since May 2010. Tube Lines is an asset-management company responsible for the maintenance, renewal and upgrade of the infrastructure, including track, trains, signals, civil work and...
. Over 40 million people pass through the station each year, making it the busiest station on the London Underground outside Central London, and also the busiest which only serves a single line (the DLR station
Canary Wharf DLR station
Canary Wharf DLR station is a Docklands Light Railway station in London, England. Built into the base of One Canada Square, between two parts of a shopping centre, it serves the Canary Wharf office complex...
is completely separate).
History
Before the arrival of the Jubilee Line, London's Docklands had suffered from relatively poor public transport. Although the Docklands Light RailwayDocklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
station at Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf DLR station
Canary Wharf DLR station is a Docklands Light Railway station in London, England. Built into the base of One Canada Square, between two parts of a shopping centre, it serves the Canary Wharf office complex...
had been operating since 1987, by 1990 it was already
obvious that the DLR's capacity would soon be reached. The Jubilee Line's routing through Canary Wharf was intended to relieve some of this pressure.
The tube station was intended from the start to be the showpiece of the Jubilee Line Extension
Jubilee Line Extension
The Jubilee Line Extension is the extension of the London Underground Jubilee line from to through south and east London. An eastward extension of the Jubilee line was first proposed in the 1970s and a modified route was constructed during the 1990s...
, and its design was awarded in 1990 to the renowned architect Sir Norman Foster
Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank
Norman Robert Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank, OM is a British architect whose company maintains an international design practice, Foster + Partners....
. It was constructed, by a Tarmac Construction / Bachy UK Joint Venture, in a drained arm of the former dock, using a simple "cut and cover" method to excavate an enormous pit 24 metres (78 ft) deep and 265 metres (869 ft) long. The resulting large volume of the interior has led to it being compared to a cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
, and it has even been used to celebrate a wedding. However, the main reason for the station's enormous proportions was the great number of passengers predicted; as many as 50,000 daily. These predictions have been outgrown, with as many as 69,759 on weekdays recorded in 2006.
The station today
Above ground, there is little sign of the vast interior: two curved glass canopies at the east and west ends of the station cover the entrances and refract daylight into the ticket hall below. A public park is located between the two canopies, above the station concourse. It had originally been intended that the infilled section of the dock would be reinstated above the station. However, this proved impractical because of technical difficulties and the park was created instead.As with the other below-ground stations on the Jubilee Line extension, both station platforms are equipped with platform edge doors.
Canary Wharf station has increasingly become one of the busiest stations on the network, serving the ever-expanding Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is a major business district located in London, United Kingdom. It is one of London's two main financial centres, alongside the traditional City of London, and contains many of the UK's tallest buildings, including the second-tallest , One Canada Square...
business district. Although it shares a name with the Docklands Light Railway
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
station at Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf DLR station
Canary Wharf DLR station is a Docklands Light Railway station in London, England. Built into the base of One Canada Square, between two parts of a shopping centre, it serves the Canary Wharf office complex...
, the two are not directly integrated (in fact, Heron Quays DLR station
Heron Quays DLR station
Heron Quays DLR station is a station on the Isle of Dogs in east London on the Docklands Light Railway. It serves the southern part of the Canary Wharf office complex and is directly connected to that complex's Jubilee Place underground shopping mall...
is nearer at street level, and recent Transport for London maps now show this). All three stations are connected underground via shopping malls. Out-of-station interchange within twenty minutes between any two of the stations entails no additional charge.
Canary Wharf can be used to reverse trains from both the east and the west. There is a scissors crossover west of the station allowing trains from Stanmore to enter either the east/westbound platform at the station, and trains coming from Stratford enter the normal westbound platform and can use this scissors crossover to reverse back towards Stratford.
The station was used as a location for some scenes of Danny Boyle
Danny Boyle
Daniel "Danny" Boyle is an English filmmaker and producer. He is best known for his work on films such as Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, Sunshine and Trainspotting. For Slumdog Millionaire, Boyle won numerous awards in 2008, including the Academy Award for Best Director...
's 2002 film 28 Days Later
28 Days Later
28 Days Later is an acclaimed 2002 British horror film directed by Danny Boyle. The screenplay was written by Alex Garland, and the film stars Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Megan Burns, and Christopher Eccleston...
.
Future proposals
Canary Wharf station and the Jubilee Line Extension itself were partly funded by the owners of the Canary Wharf complex, with the intention of making it more accessible to commuters. Only five years after the construction of the extension, capacity issues are already becoming apparent. It is envisaged that they will be resolved by adopting a new signalling system to allow trains to run more closely together, and thus more frequently. Trains have also been recently increased from six to seven carriages. In the longer term, the building of CrossrailCrossrail
Crossrail is a project to build a major new railway link under central London. The name refers to the first of two routes which are the responsibility of Crossrail Ltd. It is based on an entirely new east-west tunnel with a central section from to Liverpool Street station...
line 1 will bring another rail connection to Canary Wharf and will also relieve pressure on the Jubilee line.
Image gallery
Additional images are available from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) case study.Local notable places
- One Canada SquareOne Canada SquareOne Canada Square is a skyscraper in Canary Wharf in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is the tallest completed building in the United Kingdom since 1991, standing at above ground level and containing 50 storeys...
, the second tallest building in the UK - Canary WharfCanary WharfCanary Wharf is a major business district located in London, United Kingdom. It is one of London's two main financial centres, alongside the traditional City of London, and contains many of the UK's tallest buildings, including the second-tallest , One Canada Square...
- Citigroup Centre
- HSBC TowerHSBC Tower, London8 Canada Square is a skyscraper located at Canary Wharf in London Docklands, Borough of Tower Hamlets...