Exciting new images have emerged of the recently completed Canary Wharf Crossrail station, with an official hand over of the ticket hall and platform levels to Crossrail Limited also taking place.
Now the development stage has been completed, the work will be focused towards fitting the station out with the various railway systems, including signalling, overhead line power and platform screens.
It’s the first of ten Crossrail stations to be completed and when TfL-run Crossrail officially opens in 2018, it will improve journey times to many destinations across London. Travelling to Liverpool Street from Canary Wharf will only take 6 minutes, to Farringdon will be 8 minutes while Heathrow will take 39 minutes.
Boris Johnson, The Mayor of London, commented: “This spectacular new station is being delivered ahead of schedule and is a pivotal moment in our Crossrail journey, as we can now prepare for the next major stage of work ahead of the launch of services in 2018.
“This vital new railway is already proving a huge success for the UK economy and when complete it will boost London’s rail capacity by 10 per cent, providing an enormous benefit to passengers travelling across the capital and beyond.”
Canary Wharf, constructed by Canary Wharf Contractors Limited, is one of the largest Crossrail stations, comprising six-storey retail and park areas, and will provide a new link between Canary Wharf and Poplar.
Chairman and CEO of Canary Wharf Group, Sir George Iacobescu CBE, said the firm’s vision is to “almost double the working population at Canary Wharf over the next 10 years, while contributing to a robust public transport network.”
He continues: “The station, which we’ve handed over four months ahead of programme, combines a vibrant mixed use public space for people to shop, eat and relax and it will serve hundreds of thousands of workers and visitors in the years to come.”
Work began in May 2009 and now over six and a half years later, it is the most progressed Crossrail station out of the ten in development.
Canary Wharf Contractors contributed £150 million towards the cost of the new Crossrail station and delivered the station box for a fixed price of £500 million.
Simon Wright, Programme Director at Crossrail, added: “Crossrail will dramatically increase the capacity and resilience of transport services to and from Canary Wharf and the surrounding area, helping undergoing further development and investment in this key business district.”
The new Crossrail is expected to increase London’s rail-based transport network capacity by 10 percent, bringing an extra 1.5 million people within 45 minutes of central London.
Claire Perry, Rail Minster, added: “The completion of construction at Canary Wharf station is a significant moment for Crossrail, as we move to the next phase of work on this transformational project.
“The station is an impressive, worldclass building that will serve millions of customers in this important business district, as well as bringing better and faster journeys across London and beyond from 2018, boosting jobs and economic growth.”
