The "Euston rush"

[axel_knutt]

At the moment I am most likely to use Liverpool Street but now and then use Euston to get to the North West.

Liverpool Street has an oblong area before the ticket gates where everyone gathers.
Different lines tend to come to different groups of platforms, so you can usually hang around a small group of platforms and be pretty sure that you are about 30 seconds from the gate when your train is announced.
The train starts just the other side of the ticket gates.

Euston seems to have all sorts of clutter with the staging area well back from the platforms and a long walk to the ticket gate from the staging area once the train is announced.
If Liverpool Street can make it so easy, why has Euston mode it so hard?

Liverpool Street's my home terminus, so I know that the Braintree train usually goes from one of the last platforms at the far right hand end. The concourse always feels depressing because it's where I'm killing time when I'm on my way home.

[awavey]

At the moment I am most likely to use Liverpool Street but now and then use Euston to get to the North West.

Liverpool Street has an oblong area before the ticket gates where everyone gathers.
Different lines tend to come to different groups of platforms, so you can usually hang around a small group of platforms and be pretty sure that you are about 30 seconds from the gate when your train is announced.
The train starts just the other side of the ticket gates.

Euston seems to have all sorts of clutter with the staging area well back from the platforms and a long walk to the ticket gate from the staging area once the train is announced.
If Liverpool Street can make it so easy, why has Euston mode it so hard?

Liverpool Street's my home terminus, so I know that the Braintree train usually goes from one of the last platforms at the far right hand end. The concourse always feels depressing because it's where I'm killing time when I'm on my way home.

same for me, so yeah I know roughly where most of my trains are always going to be platform wise, sometimes they throw in a few curve balls, but I dont have to be standing at the platform, I could be perusing in Boots, or grabbing some food from somewhere, or even sat in Hamilton Hall, as soon as the platform is announced, I can be pretty sure Ill be sat on the train in only a couple of minutes, and it wont involve queueing

and theyre talking about making the concourse even wider at Liverpool St to support the growth in Elizabeth line passengers.

but it never feels like youre struggling to find space, or crossing flows of people rushing for different trains the way Euston does, Euston feels to me like an airport terminal, where youre all sat waiting for boarding of your plane to be announced, but they dont announce the gate till 5 mins before the plane takes off, and then they announce 5 of the planes at the same time.

[Jdsk]

"The ‘Euston rush’ on its way out as early train boarding introduced":
https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.u ... introduced

Jonathan

[Sweep]

"The ‘Euston rush’ on its way out as early train boarding introduced":
https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.u ... introduced

Jonathan

yep was reported by beeb web who picked up the press release.

It does seem to have had some small but noticeable effect.

I went through Euston very recently after a bit of a gap.

The West Coast line Avanti train was called maybe 14 minutes before departure.

Am pretty sure that as I waited (a long time - I always arrive early) nothing was called anything like 20 minutes before. Not even the London Overground services.

I had been checking the web page indicated above

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/

and it gave a convincing sounding provisional platform number for the train.

As soon as the train was reported as preparing I checked again and sure enough the provisional platform was now firmed up/confirmed.

I headed for the head of the platform and sure enough a fair number of folk were already on the slope/ramp so they must also have been using an online system of some sort. As was the chap I nattered to.

We headed down and half way down were asked for tickets (including my bike ticket) by a nice Avanti lady who confirmed the state secret that this was indeed the Glasgow bound Avanti train.

I didn't wait around but had the impression that she was just checking a sample of tickets.

I saw no repeat of the sheer stupidity of having a barrier where every single ticket of a motley crew of folks desperate to get on an imminently departing train were subjected to forensics.

The journey it must be said was great* and all of the Avanti staff were very helpful.

They do seem to be quite strict on checking these days that all luggage is removed from the bike - bit of a drag especially as I was the only bike for my entire trip, but I can live with it.

* no idea if the driver was the esteemed Pendodave.

[Sweep]

Oh, will be going through Euston a fair bit in the near future.

I await to see with interest whether the great expanse of blank blackness at the head of the platforms (where ever since the Brits invented the railway most rail operators have put the departure info) bursts into life as departure info or a dirty great big cinerama advertising screen blasted at the captive audience.

As it was, waiting in the seats staring at the blackness I had to get up every so often to walk over to the sideways mounted departure info screens.

Edited for typo

[Pendodave]

As it was, waiting in the seats staring at the blackness I had to get up every so often to walk over to the sideways mounted departure info screens.

Haha
I've been on holiday, and was in yesterday and saw this. I'd hope it was a temporary situation, but it's the hope that kills you...
I'll wait and see about the new boarding arrangements. I'm not convinced!

[Sweep]

Trust you don't work out of Kings Cross Pendo, or you'd witness its innovative approach to the issue.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/ ... 09696.html

Disappear the trains

[simonineaston]

An old friend of mine used to work for BT. Lived in Watford, office was over by Brick Lane. Not a nice commute, but he had a coping mechanism which was to divert to Drummond Street, round the corner from Euston and visit one of the many, diverse curry houses thereon. By the time he got back to the station to get the chuffa, the crowds had all but disappeared...

[steve.y.griffith]

Paddington is pretty bad as well with a bike you risk getting swept away by a human tide as you try and make the wide ticket gate .They also have a bad habit of announcing the platform then changing it at the last minute . Last time I couldn’t get to the bike space so just jumped on the 1st class and blocked the corridor. Train staff as ever were understanding and helpful

When I travel by train abroad you nearly always get a platform number in advance which doesn’t seem to change. Why oh why can’t we do the same ? Eg recently in Switzerland I had a 2 minute transfer feeling rather worried another passenger said”thats fine you just walk across to the adjacent platform ,why would we make it harder?”

[Pendodave]

Trust you don't work out of Kings Cross Pendo, or you'd witness its innovative approach to the issue.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/ ... 09696.html

Disappear the trains

Haha.
I don't work out of the Cross, but I do sometimes use it on the way home. I'm not sure how helpful it will be when everyone can see the platform number on their phone.
KGX is also the only station I once waited for a train to be displayed, and it left about 15secs after it first appeared on the board. I was not able to get there on time, and was a very disgruntled non-passenger.

Ps. Regarding Euston (see discussions earlier), I'm pleased to say that the big board above the platforms now displays train information, rather than blinding full screen ads. Baby steps and all that.

[Sweep]

Ps. Regarding Euston (see discussions earlier), I'm pleased to say that the big board above the platforms now displays train information, rather than blinding full screen ads. Baby steps and all that.

Yes I enjoyed that over Christmas with a great trip with Avanti West Coast.

Whatever dazzling railway innovations will the managers think of next?

[ChrisButch]

With Euston about to be shared regularly with GWR for South West trains while decade-long works at Old Oak Common block Paddington, the Euston adventure is likely to get yet more entertaining.

[mjr]

With Euston about to be shared regularly with GWR for South West trains while decade-long works at Old Oak Common block Paddington, the Euston adventure is likely to get yet more entertaining.

That's already started before New Year. It'll be intermittent. Very odd seeing AWC and GWR logos on the same departure boards. Might AWC or its successors use Paddington in future when Euston needs some work?

[ChrisButch]

Very odd seeing AWC and GWR logos on the same departure boards. Might AWC or its successors use Paddington in future when Euston needs some work?

Not sure about that. As far as I can make out, the crafty little connection being used through Willesden and Acton to Old Oak Common (not otherwise used for any current passenger service) doesn't have a 'left turn' at the southern end, so you couldn't get into Paddington without reversing.

[st599_uk]

Trust you don't work out of Kings Cross Pendo, or you'd witness its innovative approach to the issue.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/ ... 09696.html

Disappear the trains

Haha.
I don't work out of the Cross, but I do sometimes use it on the way home. I'm not sure how helpful it will be when everyone can see the platform number on their phone.
KGX is also the only station I once waited for a train to be displayed, and it left about 15secs after it first appeared on the board. I was not able to get there on time, and was a very disgruntled non-passenger.

Ps. Regarding Euston (see discussions earlier), I'm pleased to say that the big board above the platforms now displays train information, rather than blinding full screen ads. Baby steps and all that.

Shame they seem to have removed the seats on the West Coast trains and replaced them with a medieval torture devices whilst turning the heating on full blast.

AWC give with one hand and take with the other.