10/270 - North Greenwich

North Greenwich roundel on
the Eastbound platform,
7th April 2017

Sandwiched between Canary Wharf and Canning Town, North Greenwich is the only London Underground station on the Greenwich Peninsula. With over 26 million users each year, North Greenwich is the 25th busiest London Underground station and the fourth busiest station to be served by just one line, with Vauxhall, Brixton and Canary Wharf being the three busier stations to be served by one line. The station forms a range of transport services including the Emirates Airline, Riverboat services and a large bus station.

The underground station opened in 1999 and is served by just one line, the Jubilee line. North Greenwich is another example of stations that opened on the Jubilee line extension. However, the station is closer to Charlton than it is to Greenwich, so how come the name? Despite being nearer Charlton, the station is located in the northern part of the Royal Borough of Greenwich. If you are going to a Charlton Football Club match at The Valley, the ground is two miles away, it would be quicker to get the 161 bus from the nearby bus station at North Greenwich. The station is designed to be able to handle 20,000 passengers an hour, this is important for the nearby O2 Arena, originally known as the Millennium Dome, or simply just The Dome.

The O2,
7th April 2017

Of course, The Dome is a major reason for why you might want/need to use North Greenwich station. The O2 arena can hold 20,000 people for concerts and sporting events, and is actually the worlds busiest music arena, with 1,064,92 tickets sold in 2015. Since 2012, visitors have been able to walk along a 190m fabric walkway over the building, offering views of the Olympic Park, Canary Wharf and Royal Greenwich. 

Access to the river Thames

North Greenwich is one of just seven London Underground stations to feature Riverboat services on the London Underground map, and also the furthest east to do so. MBNA Thames Clippers provide a regular service between North Greenwich and Westminster/London Eye, and North Greenwich and Woolwich (Royal Arsenal). These services provide commuters and tourists with quick and relatively inexpensive transport along the Thames, with a bar, toilets and plenty of seats. The North Greenwich pier is also served by other slightly slower tourist services. 

Entrance to the Emirates Airline at
North Greenwich,
7th April 2017

Emirates Greenwich Peninsula

The Emirates Airline is located a five minute walk away from North Greenwich station. There is a love/hate split over the 'cable cars' which opened in 2012. However, that being said, the 1 km cable car offers views over East London, with the city centre in the distance. 1.4 million people used the service in 2016, which is roughly 3,888 people a day. With an Oyster card it costs just £3.50 to ride the Emirates Airline, which is great value for money if you want to use it as a tourist attraction. However, as a form of transport for local residents or regular commuters, critics claim that it is an expensive river crossing. Critics also suggest that it is in a poor location, this perhaps reflects the low usage. Have you been on the Emirates Airline? If not, I suggest you do, if not for the views, but just to say you have done and tick something else off of the London bucket list. 

Platform screen doors on the
eastbound platform,
7th April 2017

North Greenwich blue's tiling in the interior make the station unique. The blue-tiled interior was designed by Alsop, Lyall and Stormer. The platforms also feature platform screen doors, a common feature of the Jubilee Line Extension, for added safety. This feature also enables users to predict where to stand, as they can see where the train doors are. It is predicted that TFL will introduce this technology to more stations in central London for "safety and reliability". 

If you have not visited North Greenwich station, I ask you why not? The station is spacious, the blue tiling is striking and there are many different transport opportunities to explore. The Emirates Airline is a unique experience, the first urban cable car in the United Kingdom. The MBNA Thames Clippers is a relaxing, quick and different way to travel throughout the capital, giving views of central London, East London and Greenwich. Whilst I prefer the London Underground, the MBNA Thames Clippers are an exciting way to see, travel and explore the city. 

More photos

North Greenwich exterior,
7th April 2017

Emirates Greenwich Peninsula,
7th April 2017

Emirates Airline,
7th April 2017

For more London transport photos follow my Instagram account, tubespottingdan. If you have any questions, please do send them in and I will answer them in my next blog post.