Getting the train to Canary Wharf

Intro

The latest news is that Crossrail is delayed (again!), with the full line now not due to open until 2023. Faster rail transit times across London, alongside the promised 39 minute rail connection between Canary Wharf and London Heathrow Airport will have to wait a bit longer!

This means until 2022, when the central section of Crossrail opens, travel to Canary Wharf will have to rely on the existing rail connections:

• Jubilee Place tube station
• Canary Wharf DLR station

Fortunately, London has many major terminals, and with the Canary Wharf group’s relentless lobbying to improve transport links, even without Crossrail, it is well connected.

Here is an easy step-by-step guide showing how to get to Canary Wharf from the major rail interchanges.

London Heathrow to Canary Wharf

There are 3 practical options for getting to Heathrow from Canary Wharf, listed in order of fastest to slowest. The first two go via Baker Street:

Heathrow express via Paddington (approximately 1 hour)

1. Take the Jubilee line westbound from Canary Wharf, to Baker Street. (9 stops, 18 Minutes)
2. At Baker Street its a very short, 1min, walk to the Bakerloo line
3. Northbound trains, any will do, to Paddington (3 stops, 5 minutes)

From Paddington the Heathrow Express usually runs every 15 minutes (book tickets here). The Express first stops at Heathrow Terminals 2&3 then continues to Heathrow Terminal 5.

Terminal 4 is on a different line, so the best way to access Terminal 4 is to get off at the first stop (Terminals 2&3) and take the free transfer shuttle across.

• Heathrow Terminals 2&3 (1 stop, 16 minutes)
• Heathrow Terminals 5 (2 stops, 21 minutes)

Single tickets range between £5.50 in advance to £25.00 on the day. You can pay via contactless or your Oyster card at Paddington Station.

Total journey cost (single) : £8 – £28

TFL Rail via Paddington (Approximately 1 hour 15)

As above, to get to Paddington:

1. Westbound Jubilee line services from Canary Wharf, to Baker Street. (9 stops, 18 Minutes)
2. Bakerloo line northbound to Paddington (3 stops, 5 minutes)

To keep the cost down or if there is an issue with the Heathrow Express, you can get the TFL Rail service from Paddington to Heathrow.

This TFL Rail service is actually run using the brand new trains that will become part of Crossrail, but hasn’t been fully integrated with the central section of the track yet. Stopping more frequently than the Express, it takes slightly longer but can be significantly cheaper if booking on the day.

TFL Rail trains run every 30 minutes, and the latest departures from Paddington are displayed here.

• Heathrow Terminals 2&3 (7 stops, 28 minutes)
• Heathrow Terminals 5 (8 stops, 35 minutes)

Total journey cost (single) : £10.10

Heathrow Airport via Green Park (Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes)

The final option involves less changes and significantly less cost but does involve a long time sat on the tube:

1. Take the Jubilee line westbound to Green Park (7 stops, 14 minutes)
2. It is a little bit of a walk, around 5 minutes, through Green Park station to the Piccadilly line
3. Wait for a Picadilly line train that is going to Terminals 2&3 or Terminal 5 (only some trains continue to Heathrow, as the line splits to Uxbridge)
4. Green Park to Heathrow Terminals 2&3 (17 stops, 48 minutes)
5. Green Park to Heathrow Terminal 5 (18 stops 51 minutes)

Total journey cost (single) : £3.10

Euston to Canary Wharf

There are a multitude of ways to get between London Euston station and Canary Wharf, but here are three of the quickest with only 1 change.

The Fastest – Via Green Park (23 mins)

1. Take the Victoria line southbound to Green Park. (3 stops, 5 minutes)
2. It is a quick 2 minutes, directly across the platform, to the Jubilee line
3. Jubilee line southbound to Canary Wharf (7 stops, 14 minutes)

On the night tube – Via London Bridge (25 mins)

1. Take the Northern line southbound to London Bridge (6 stops, 11 minutes)
2. It is a little bit of a walk, approximately 5 minutes, to the Jubilee line platform
3. Jubilee line eastbound to Canary Wharf (3 stops, 6 minutes)

The scenic route – DLR via Bank (28 minutes)

This involves the DLR, so is a good bet if there are any issues with the tube or if you are arriving at Canary Wharf for the first time and want to get a glimpse of the area on the way in.

1. Take the Northern Line southbound to Bank (5 stops, 9 minutes)
2. It’s a short walk across the platform to the DLR platform
3. DLR towards Lewisham to Canary Wharf (4 stops, 9 minutes)

Kings Cross to Canary Wharf

Both very well connected places, there are a myriad of ways to get between the two stations. Here are 3 of the best: the fastest, step free, and using the DLR.

Fastest and on the night tube – Via London Bridge (25 mins)

• Take the Northern line southbound to London Bridge (5 stops, 9 minutes)
• There is a little bit of a walk, around 5 minutes to get to the Jubilee platform
• Take the Jubilee line eastbound to Canary Wharf (3 stops, 6 minutes)

Step free – Via Green Park (30 mins)

If you are lugging bags around or cannot manage stairs, a good option is via Green Park:

• Take the Victoria line southbound to Green Park (4 stops, 6 minutes)
• It takes around 5-10 minutes but there is step free change to the Jubilee Line platform
• Jubilee line southbound to Canary Wharf (7 stops, 14 minutes)

The scenic route – DLR via Bank (30 minutes)

This involves the DLR, so again, it is a good bet if there are any issues with the tube or if you are arriving at Canary Wharf for the first time and want to get a glimpse of the area on the way in:

• Take the Northern line southbound to Bank (4 stops, 7 minutes)
• It is a very short walk to the adjacent platform for the DLR
• DLR towards Lewisham to Canary Wharf (4 stops, 9 minutes)

London Victoria to Canary Wharf

The UKs second busiest rail station offers Bus, Rail and even Ferry connections to Canary Wharf, but three of the easiest and quickest ways are all via the tube.

The fastest (step free available) – Via Westminster (20 minutes)

1. Take either the Circle or District lines Eastbound to Westminster (2 stops, 3 minutes)
2. At Westminster there is a short walk, less than 5 minutes, to the Jubilee line platform
3. Jubilee line eastbound to Canary Wharf (6 stops, 11 minutes)

The simplest (step free available) – Via Green Park (22 minutes)

I appreciate that the Circle and District lines are not everyone’s favourite, and sometimes keeping it simple is the best option. There is not much stop counting here:

1. Take the Victoria line northbound to Green Park (1 stop, 2 minutes)
2. A quick 2 minute walk between platforms to the Jubilee platform
3. Jubilee line southbound to Canary Wharf (7 stops 14 minutes)

Fancy a walk? No changes (35 minutes)

If you want to avoid the hassle of a connection or fancy a bit of fresh air, you can walk to Westminster. If you follow the exits to Cardinal Place, its a simple walk in a straight line east along Victoria Street. This is roughly 0.8 of a mile, so should take 15-20 minutes.

1. Walk along Victoria Street to Westminster (15 – 20 mins)
2. Jubilee line eastbound to Canary Wharf (6 stops, 11 minutes)

London Waterloo and London Bridge to Canary Wharf

Saving the easiest journeys for last!

Two of the busiest rail stations in London, London Waterloo, and London Bridge, are linked to the Jubilee line so connecting to Canary Wharf is quick and easy.

For both stations, simply take the Jubilee line westbound:

• London Waterloo to Canary Wharf (5 stops, 9 minutes)
• London Bridge to Canary Wharf (3 stops, 6 minutes)