LONDON CITY · A DIFFERENT KIND OF LATE-NIGHT QUESTION
Missed the Last Train From London City?
First, check the airport is even open.
London City is unlike every other London airport: a strict noise curfew means it doesn't schedule flights much after 10pm, and it's closed completely from Saturday early afternoon until Sunday afternoon. If you're reading this late at night, you're more likely cutting it fine after an evening in the Royal Docks than genuinely stranded by a flight. Either way — the DLR and Jubilee line have their own last-train times, the 473/474 bus runs 24 hours, and a fixed-fare taxi is on the road all night at the same price.
Times checked 13 August 2026
| London City flightsCurfew applies | CLOSED ~22:00–06:30 | + all Sat pm |
| DLRTo Bank / Canning Town | LAST ~23:30–00:30 | from ~05:30 |
| Jubilee lineVia Canning Town | FRI–SAT NIGHT TUBE | otherwise ~00:00 |
| 473 / 474 busTo Canning Town & Stratford | RUNNING | 24 hours |
| RushXO fixed taxiMeets you in arrivals | ALWAYS ON | 24/7 |
FIRST, THE SHORT VERSION
This is a different question than at other airports.
The curfew changes everything
No scheduled flights after roughly 10–10.30pm, and a full closure from Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon. The "stranded at 2am" scenario common at other airports basically can't happen here.
It's usually about the evening, not the flight
If you're reading this late, it's more likely you've been at the ExCeL, a Docklands event, or just cutting it fine after work — and the DLR still has a real last-train time worth knowing.
The 473/474 never stops
Unlike the DLR, these two bus routes run genuinely 24 hours between the airport, Canning Town and Stratford — the fallback once the trains are done.
CHECK BEFORE YOU ASSUME
Is London City even open right now?
Pick the day and time. Because of the curfew, that question genuinely comes first here — every other London airport page on this site starts with "what train is running," but this one starts with "is the airport running."
The short answer: London City has no scheduled flights roughly between 22:00–22:30 and 06:30 on any night, and is closed completely from about 12:30pm Saturday to 12:30pm Sunday. If you're asking this question well after 11pm, you almost certainly weren't on a landing flight — you're far more likely heading home after an evening nearby, in which case the DLR, the 473/474 bus and a taxi are exactly what you need below.
If it genuinely is the airport: the latest realistic arrival is in the last window before curfew, so cutting it fine for the last DLR is a real scenario here too — just an earlier one than at Heathrow or Gatwick.
Set the day and time to see what's happening.
THE FACT THAT SHAPES THIS WHOLE PAGE
Closed Saturday lunchtime until Sunday lunchtime.
This isn't a quiet period — it's a complete closure, and it's been part of London City's operating licence since it first opened in 1986.
| Day | Opens | Closes | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday–Friday | ~06:30 | ~22:00 | A short buffer either side is reserved for delayed flights only. |
| Saturday | ~06:30 | ~12:30 | Closes at lunchtime — no afternoon or evening flights at all. |
| Sunday | ~12:30 | ~22:00 | Doesn't open until early afternoon — no morning flights. |
Together, that's a continuous 24-hour closure from Saturday lunchtime to Sunday lunchtime — the longest regular weekly shutdown of any London airport, upheld through repeated expansion appeals as a condition for local residents. Always check the airport's own opening hours page for today specifically.
A noise curfew, not a quiet suggestion.
London City sits in the Royal Docks, close to residential streets on both sides of the water. The nightly and weekend flight restrictions exist specifically to guarantee local residents an unbroken period of quiet — the airport has tried more than once to extend Saturday hours, and each attempt has been turned down at appeal, most recently with the government explicitly upholding the Saturday-to-Sunday curfew while approving other parts of an expansion plan.
ONCE YOU'RE ACTUALLY THROUGH ARRIVALS
The DLR still has a real last train.
Curfew or not, if you land in the last window before it and clear the terminal — one of the fastest walks of any London airport — you still need to know the DLR's last departure.
Westbound to Bank / Canning Town
The DLR from London City Airport station typically stops running some time between about 23:30 and 00:30 — earlier than more central DLR stations, since the airport sits at the end of a branch line. First trains resume around 05:30.
The DLR doesn't run overnight at all, even on Friday and Saturday — there's no DLR equivalent of the Tube's Night Tube.
Via Canning Town interchange
The nearest Underground line is the Jubilee, reached by changing at Canning Town. On Friday and Saturday nights it's part of the Night Tube and runs all night; other nights it closes around midnight like the rest of the network.
If the DLR has gone but you need the Jubilee line specifically, the 473 or 474 bus to Canning Town is your connection there.
All times are approximate and change with engineering work — always check TfL's live departure boards for tonight specifically, rather than assuming a fixed time, since London City's last DLR moves around more than most.
WHAT IT ACTUALLY COSTS
Every option, compared honestly.
London City is the closest airport to central London, so every option here is cheaper and shorter than the equivalent at Heathrow or Gatwick — the comparison is really about convenience, not just price.
| Option | Typical cost | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| DLR (before last train) | £3–£4 | Fast and cheap to Bank or Canary Wharf — but gone by around 23:30–00:30. |
| 473 / 474 bus | £1.75 | Genuinely 24 hours. Local and slower than the DLR, useful once the trains stop. |
| Metered black cab | £45–£90 | Meter runs on the highest overnight tariff every night 22:00–06:00 — but the shortest distances of any London airport keep totals lower. |
| Ride-hailing app | £30–£70+ | Can surge around ExCeL events and Docklands nights out as much as around flights. |
| RushXO fixed-fare taxi | from £79 | Agreed at booking. Doesn't move for lateness, traffic, luggage or the hour. |
Figures are typical ranges from current TfL and taxi fare guides — not a live quote for your journey. Book to confirm your exact fixed price.
RUSHXO LATE-NIGHT FARES
One flat fare, anywhere in London.
Our standard fixed fare for a missed-last-train transfer doesn't change by postcode across Greater London — the lower band covers Docklands and East London, right on the airport's doorstep.
| Destination | Saloon | Executive | MPV | 8-Seater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anywhere in Greater London (flat rate) | £79 | £89 | £91 | £98 |
| Docklands & East London (Canary Wharf, Stratford, the City) | £52 | £61 | £61 | £70 |
Saloon seats 1–4, Executive 1–3, MPV 1–6, 8-Seater 1–7 — all with luggage. This is our standard late-night / missed-last-train fixed fare; enter your postcode at booking to confirm your exact price. For full route pricing, see our London City to Canary Wharf & the City guide.
THE PROMISE
Why a fixed transfer wins at this hour.
Meets you inside arrivals
A name board waiting in one of the shortest walks of any London airport.
Flight-tracked, automatically
Land early or delayed and the pickup adjusts itself. No need to call ahead.
One price, set before you land
No meter, no app surge, no night premium — the fare agreed at booking is the fare you pay.
Room for the group and the cases
An MPV or 8-seater minibus keeps everyone together at one fare.
Closest airport, quickest transfer
The shortest runs of any London airport to the City and Canary Wharf.
Dispatch never sleeps
24/7, every night of the year — including the hours the airport itself is closed.
Licence 11588
ARRIVALS AFTER THE DLR
The people who approach you in the arrivals hall.
Worth knowing the rules before someone offers you a ride, wherever you land.
- Never accept a ride from someone who approaches you
Touting for passengers is a criminal offence in the UK. A private hire vehicle can only legally carry you if the journey was booked in advance.
- Black cabs only from the marked rank
London City's compact terminal has a signposted taxi rank outside arrivals — the only vehicle you can legally hail on the spot.
- Make the driver tell you who you are
If you've pre-booked, don't announce your name and destination — ask the driver who they're collecting.
- Share the details before you set off
Send the vehicle registration and driver name to someone before you leave the terminal.
- You should never need cash
Card payment is standard for both black cabs and pre-booked cars.
FAQ
Missed Last Train — your questions.
What's the fastest way home if I've just missed the last DLR from London City?
Usually a fixed-fare taxi straight to your door. But first check what's actually happening: London City has a strict night curfew, so if you're asking this question well after 11pm, it's much more likely you're cutting it fine after an evening out near the Royal Docks than genuinely stranded by a late flight — London City doesn't schedule flights that late.
Is London City Airport open right now?
Check the day before anything else. London City is closed to all flights from around 12:30pm on Saturday until around 12:30pm on Sunday — a full 24-hour weekend curfew that's been in place for decades. Monday to Friday it typically operates 06:30–22:00, and Sunday 12:30–22:00. If it's Saturday afternoon or evening, or Sunday morning, the airport simply isn't operating.
Does London City have late-night flights?
No — this is the airport's defining difference from Heathrow or Gatwick. A nightly curfew means no scheduled arrivals or departures roughly between 22:00–22:30 and 06:30. There's no equivalent of a 1am Heathrow landing here; the latest realistic arrival is in the last window before curfew.
What time does the last DLR actually leave London City Airport?
The DLR to Bank and Canning Town typically stops running some time between about 23:30 and 00:30 — noticeably earlier than more central DLR stations, since the airport sits at the end of a branch line. Always check TfL's live departure board for tonight specifically rather than assuming a fixed time.
Is there a night bus from London City Airport?
Yes — routes 473 and 474 run 24 hours a day between the airport and Canning Town, Stratford and the surrounding area. They're the only genuinely 24-hour public transport option once the DLR and Jubilee line have stopped for the night.
How do I get into central London once the DLR has stopped?
The 473 or 474 bus to Canning Town connects with the Jubilee line, which itself stops overnight except on Friday and Saturday nights — so outside those nights you're relying on the bus network or a taxi for the final leg into town.
Will a taxi surge-price late at night?
A metered black cab moves to the highest overnight tariff after 10pm, and ride-hailing apps commonly surge around evening events at the nearby ExCeL centre. A pre-booked fixed fare, agreed before you travel, doesn't move either way.
Can a taxi take a whole group?
Yes. An MPV seats up to six and an 8-seater minibus up to seven, with luggage, at one fixed fare split between the group.
Do you run 24 hours a day?
Yes — dispatch and drivers operate 24/7, every night of the year, including the Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings when the airport itself is closed to flights.
Why is London City closed on Saturday afternoons?
A long-standing noise curfew, in place since the airport's original 1986 planning permission, bans flights from around 12:30pm Saturday until around 12:30pm Sunday — a full weekend rest period for residents of the Royal Docks area. It's been the subject of repeated expansion appeals, and the core weekend curfew has been upheld each time.
I'm booked on an early Saturday-morning flight — will the DLR be running?
Check the time carefully. The DLR's first trains typically start around 05:30, and London City's own flights don't begin until around 06:30 on weekdays and Saturdays, so an early Saturday departure is usually fine for the DLR — the curfew only affects flights, not the trains that get you there beforehand.
What happens on Christmas Day?
TfL runs no service at all on Christmas Day — no DLR, no Jubilee line, no buses. London City itself is also not a realistic travel day given the wider network shutdown. A pre-booked car is the only reliable option if you must travel.
Is it worth just waiting for the first DLR?
Given London City's curfew means you're rarely landing much after 10–10.30pm in the first place, the wait to a 05:30 first train is usually only a few hours at most — often more manageable than the multi-hour gaps at other London airports, if you're happy to wait in the terminal.
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