Euston station to see main information display switched back on

Euston’s stations main display boards above the entrance to platforms is set to be switched back on by Network Rail.

Frequent overcrowding and congestion around ticket gates saw the giant board turned off with the intention of dispersing passengers across the concourse.

The addition of smaller boards was supposed to do this, while the large board saw giant adverts beamed over the space.

According to Network Rail the addition of display boards in other locations did help with dispersal, but disruption still saw crowding (albeit to a slightly reduced extent) by the ticket gates and the adverts simply caused frustrated passenger more irritation.

Hence they were all turned off a few weeks back, and now passenger information is back on the big board.

Euston Rush

When adverts were turned off it was also announced that passengers would be able to board earlier. The famous Euston Rush as the platform was announced just minutes before departure is not pleasant.

While measures can help in certain scenarios the bigger picture is the station cannot cope with current crowding levels – and that will take a serious amount of money to solve.

The station was built to handle 20 million passengers a year upon opening in 1968. Last year it saw 33 million.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “I’m pleased to see Network Rail taking action and making progress on its five-point plan to alleviate some of the issues faced at Euston – particularly at this time of year, when the festive period brings an increase in passengers.

“We’ve been clear the station simply hasn’t been good enough for customers, and that’s why we recently tasked Network Rail with making immediate improvements to address crowding and give passengers the experience they deserve.”

Gary Walsh, Network Rail’s West Coast South route director, said: “After listening to our passengers, we’re pleased to launch a trial to display travel information on Euston station’s large screen this week. Our five-point plan is all about making quick and effective improvements to make journeys smoother for everyone and we’re really pleased to be able to deliver this in time for the busy festive travel period.”

“While initial testing starts on Wednesday evening this week, we’re urging passengers to continue to use the screens in the middle of the concourse for accurate travel information. We’ll let passengers know when the large screen is fully up and running, which we expect to be from next week.”

 

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