Work at the Crossrail Canary Wharf Station took a major step forward today as Transport Minister Sadiq Khan flicked the switch on pumps draining nearly 100 million litres of water - the equivalent to 40 Olympic swimming pools - from the worksite.

The pumps will transfer water from inside the site's specially constructed coffer dam to the North Dock at a rate of 13,500 litres per minute.

A station ‘box’ will then be constructed in a dry environment - a similar technique to that used in the construction of the nearby Canary Wharf Tube station.

Sadiq Khan said:

"I'm delighted Crossrail has passed another milestone. Draining this dam marks an important new phase in the construction of the first Crossrail station that will be completed.

"When it is finished, Crossrail will boost the British economy by at least £20bn, creating and supporting thousands of jobs and adding 10 percent extra capacity to London's public transport network.

"The Canary Wharf station will be a vital commuter link to the financial heart of Britain, and I’m glad to see it’s on schedule to deliver the benefits of Crossrail to passengers in this corner of the capital as soon as possible."

Kulveer Ranger, Transport Advisor to the Mayor of London said:

“This mammoth project is crucial to the economic vitality of the Capital. Its benefits reach far beyond the fantastic new station at Canary Wharf, to every part of London - promising new jobs and opportunities, quicker journeys, and a less congested transport network. By 2026 every London borough will see at least a £14million boost to their economy thanks to Crossrail, and this latest milestone shows that we are well on our way to delivering it.”

Canary Wharf Group plc is designing and constructing the station on behalf of Crossrail Ltd. The enabling and civil engineering works are delivered by Expanded, a subsidiary of Laing O’Rourke.

George Iacobescu, Chief Executive of Canary Wharf Group plc said:

"We are proud to be playing our part in a vital project that will benefit all of London, bringing an additional 1.5 million people within 60 minutes commuting distance of London's key business districts.

"Work on Canary Wharf Station is on time and on budget. Our environmentally responsible construction methods, including the silent piling rigs and coffer dam to partially dewater the dock, minimise disruption to office occupiers, local businesses and residents."

Rob Holden, Chief Executive of Crossrail said:

“Construction of Crossrail Canary Wharf station has made significant progress since work got underway in May last year. Draining of the coffer dam at North Dock will reveal the true scale and extent of the new station, the biggest on the Crossrail route.

"Work on Europe’s largest construction project continues apace elsewhere with preparatory work now underway at the Royal Oak tunnel portal and also at Farringdon, Paddington and Tottenham Court Road. Construction at the remaining stations on Crossrail’s central section will begin later this year.”

Over the next six weeks, 98 million litres of water will be pumped through twin 6 inch pipes inside the coffer dam to reveal the future scale of the new station. As the water level lowers, pumping will stop temporarily to allow adjustments to the coffer dam.

Once the water level drops to about one metre above the dock bed, specialist contractors will go into the dock to safely remove and relocate any fish and aquatic life that might be present.


Ankeeta Munsi, Crossrail Press Office
Tel: 020 3229 9552, ankeetamunsi@crossrail.co.uk

Sean Armstrong, DfT Press Office
Tel: 020 7944 4833, sean.armstrong@dft.gsi.gov.uk

Images of today’s event can be downloaded at www.crossrail.co.uk/library