Canary Wharf is probably Crossrail’s most eye-catching station. Or at least the roof over it is eye-catching – the station itself is some 30 metres underground with the space in between to be occupied by shops, bars and a cinema. The roof will cover a garden.

These pictures show progress with the roof and all come courtesy of Crossrail.

Robby WhitfieldCrossrail reckons the box that forms Canary Wharf station is large enough that you could place one of the nearby tower blocks sideways into it. This view, with the roof showing the length of the box, seems to support that claim. CROSSRAIL.

Robby WhitfieldThis is the gaping ‘mouth’ of the station roof at Canary Wharf. It’s been designed by architect Foster + Partners. CROSSRAIL.

Robby WhitfieldA lone figure at the roof’s peak gives a sense of scale to the structure. CROSSRAIL.

Robby Whitfield

A final view of the roof at Canary Wharf. CROSSRAIL.

Crossrail is a £14.8 billion project to build a new east-west railway line under central London. It will link Reading and Heathrow Airport to Shenfield and Abbey Wood and should open in 2018. It should add 10% to London’s rail capacity and will bring a new fleet of trains which will be built by Bombardier. It is creating ten new stations and will run through 40 stations.

A central tunnel runs east from Paddington to split under Stepney Green into two routes. Eight tunnel boring machines are digging the tunnels and the map below show progress by mid-June.

Andrew Briffett

You can discover more about the project at crossrail.co.uk

By Philip Haigh

Freelance railway writer, former deputy editor at RAIL magazine - news, views and analysis of today's railway.