AS LONDON geared up for spectacular festivities starting at 00.01 on January 1, London Underground’s Jubilee Line Extension was set to play a vital role in moving crowds to and from the Millennium Dome erected by the River Thames close to the station at North Greenwich. Services began running through from the original Jubilee line on November 20 (RG 12.99 p766), when Southwark station also opened. This left only the interchange to the District and Circle lines at Westminster to open in time for the start-of-year celebrations.
Travellers on the JLE are bound to be impressed by the grandeur of the stations such as Canada Water (above left). Since the original go-ahead, it has taken 10 years to complete the 16 km extension to Stratford, which was once to have had moving block transmission-based signalling. The line is late and at £3·2bn far beyond budget, but it will be much welcomed by Londoners. It provides a swift link from central London to Docklands and Canary Wharf in particular. Nine of the 11 new stations offer interchange to other rail services, including the double-deck interchange to the Docklands Light Railway at Canning Town (below left).
Many contractors have shared in the often fraught construction programme. The fleet of 59 six-car trains with AC motors came from Alstom. Power supply to the 630V DC stainless steel and aluminium composite conductor rails is by Cegelec, and signalling by Westinghouse Signals. Operations control equipment came from the SEL Division of Alcatel and communications from GPT Ltd.
Platform screen doors at the deep-level stations (above right) are by Westinghouse Brakes, station and tunnel ventilation is by Drake & Scull Engineering and JWP (UK), and escalators and lifts by O&K Escalators. Cubic Transportation Systems supplied twin-paddle access gates (below). Trackwork is by Tarmac Montcocol. A full description of the line appeared in RG 1.96 p27.
