Jubilee line extension celebrates 25 years

Transport for London is celebrating 25 years since the Jubilee line extension connected Green Park to London’s booming Docklands area - and linked all London’s Tube lines

All 11 new stations featured modern design led by architect Roland Paoletti to herald the new millennium and were built step-free, with lifts, ramps and level surfaces for people with accessibility requirements

Today, TfL is working on more than 80 ambitious new actions from its Equity in Motion plan to make the Tube and wider transport network accessible and inclusive for all 

To celebrate, TfL has created special 25th anniversary posters that will feature along the Jubilee line over the coming weeks

While the original Jubilee line opened in May 1979 between Stanmore and Charing Cross, the extension to London Underground’s youngest line was completed in three phases. 

This began in May 1999 between Stratford, the line’s current eastern terminus and where Stratford International and Westfield Shopping Centre would later open, and North Greenwich, close to the Millennium Dome. 

It then extended further west to Bermondsey via the bustling financial hub of Canary Wharf, transformed in the 1980s and 1990s by the London Docklands Development Corporation. 

By the end of the year, with the new millennium on the horizon, the extension was completely open from Stratford to Green Park, creating the line as it is known today that links the north west and east of the city.

The Jubilee line remains unique in providing interchanges with every Tube line, the DLR and six national rail stations, as well as Overground stations and the more recently added Elizabeth line. 

The 1999 extension brought 11 new stations in total, each with ‘future-proof’ architectural design led by Paoletti, with each of the stations designed by a different architect under his guidance, to ring in the new millennium.

An example is Canada Water station, which was built with glass walls to allow natural light to filter through the station to the platforms.

Dale Smith, head of customer operations on the Jubilee line, said: “The Jubilee line extension was a remarkable feat that changed the geography of our city as we saw in the new millennium. 

“Creating a fast, reliable connection between the West End and the thriving Docklands area brought significant economic rewards for the city and more homes for thousands of Londoners. 

“The extension also helped to lay the foundation for our ongoing accessibility work to ensure all Londoners can make the most of what our city has to offer.”