Canary Wharf tube station
Jubilee line · Zone 2 · Tower Hamlets
About Canary Wharf station
Norman Foster won the commission in 1990 for what was always meant to be the showpiece of the extension of the Jubilee line, and the result opened on 17 September 1999. It was built by cut and cover in a drained arm of the old dock: a pit 24 m deep and 265 m long. Its scale was set by forecasts of up to 50,000 passengers a day, and the interior has often been likened to a cathedral; it has even hosted a wedding. Foster drew on his earlier work for the Bilbao Metro. The owners of the Canary Wharf estate helped pay for the station and the extension, committing £500 million over 24 years.
Demand soon overtook the forecasts. Three extra entrances opened in 2004, trains were lengthened from six to seven cars at the end of 2005, and moving-block signalling brought 30 trains an hour in the peak from 2011. Little of the building shows above ground: two curved glass canopies cover the east and west entrances and let daylight into the ticket hall, with Jubilee Park laid out between them where the dock was once meant to be restored. Twenty escalators and three lifts serve the two platforms, which have platform screen doors. In 2013 a YouGov poll named it London’s “Most Loved” tube station.
First and last trains from Canary Wharf
| Line and direction | Mon–Thu first – last | Friday first – last | Saturday first – last | Sunday first – last |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jubilee towards Stanmore, Wembley Park or West Hampstead | 05:25 – 00:21 | 05:25 – all night | 24 hours | all night – 23:47 |
| Jubilee towards Stratford, North Greenwich or West Ham | 05:40 – 00:59 | 05:40 – all night | 24 hours | all night – 00:14 |
Times are TfL’s published timetable departures from this station; on Saturday the list follows TfL’s “Saturdays and public holidays” timetable.
At the busiest hour on a weekday there are up to 28 Jubilee trains an hour per direction from Canary Wharf, counting both directions separately.
Next stations from Canary Wharf
Running times between Canary Wharf and the adjoining stations, from TfL’s timetable.
| Line | Next station | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Jubilee | Canada Water | 2.5 min |
| Jubilee | North Greenwich | 2.3 min |
Connections
- Buses: D7, 135, 277 (night buses N277, N550).
- DLR at this station.
- Elizabeth line at this station.
Station facilities
What is near Canary Wharf station
Jubilee Park sits right on top of the station, about 30 m from the entrances, and Canada Square Park is roughly 140 m away. The station serves the Canary Wharf business district, and John Lewis and the UCL School of Management are both about 170 m off, with the Idea Store library at around 270 m, Crossrail Place Roof Garden at about 290 m and the Everyman cinema at 300 m. The DLR station is about 200 m away via the street, and Heron Quays DLR is nearer still; changing between the stations within twenty minutes costs nothing extra.
| Place | Walk from the station |
|---|---|
| Jubilee Park | 30 m |
| Canada Square Park | 140 m |
| John Lewis | 170 m |
| UCL School of Management | 170 m |
| Midland Bank WWI Memorial | 260 m |
| Compton Gardens | 260 m |
| Idea Store | 270 m |
| Crossrail Place Roof Garden | 290 m |
Frequently asked questions
Sir Norman Foster was awarded the design contract in 1990, basing it on his earlier work for the Bilbao Metro. Built in a drained dock arm, the vast concourse has been compared to a cathedral, while above ground only two curved glass canopies and Jubilee Park show it is there.
Not directly. A direct interchange was hoped for, but later development prevented it. The tube and the DLR station are about 200 m apart via the street, and both are linked to the Elizabeth line station through shopping malls. Out-of-station interchange between any two of them within twenty minutes carries no extra charge.