Euston departure board to be moved

[dosxuk]

They're on like the new boards, just not displaying any information. Looks to be down due to a fatality in the Watford area.

You can clearly see operator logos and the normal layout is in place on the other bank - so it is showing information.

 

[Hadders]

View attachment 124896

Oh dear

I was at Euston this evening and can confirm that 3 of the four new departure screens were working. The fourth (the one facing the food couer) was not. I believe it had been deliberately switched off due to the huge volume of passengers on the concourse due to disruption.

This did mean there was a clearer exit route for passengers from platforms 1-7 but passengers from the other platforms would've found it very difficult. Also, I observed passengers standing towsrds the top of the ramps, especially at the top of platforms 8-11. This wouldn't have happened before as the location of the old departure board kept passengers back from the top of the ramps.

 

[thomalex]

It's hard to believe this is even the same station. What a cramped and gloomy mess Euston has become over the years.

They would do better the strip the concourse back to its bare bones and construct a temporary second one in the forecourt outside until the new HS2 station comes online in the next decade. Something a bit like Boxpark with food outlets and seating. Cramming more and more in the existing concourse, now of course joined by these stand alone departure boards, hasn't helped one bit.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I was at Euston this evening and can confirm that 3 of the four new departure screens were working. The fourth (the one facing the food couer) was not. I believe it had been deliberately switched off due to the huge volume of passengers on the concourse due to disruption.

I can see the sense in that. Last Saturday that particular panel was causing a crowd to back up and block access to the tunnel from the Tube, and I both said it here and on Twitter so they probably were aware of it.

I don't think two boards work at all, and this seems to back that up. If the sideways thing is better in flow terms (which I'm open to the possibility of but largely unconvinced) then one in the middle (perhaps slightly towards the booking office side as more will enter on the Tube side) would be better. Use some of the panels from the other one to extend the one retained to add two or three more train panels, then stick the rest on the outside wall so you can see it from the plaza.

My overall preference, though, would be to use all the modules to just directly replace the old one if it's out of support. You don't need to go down the middle so it doesn't matter if that's a bit blocked, you just need to keep the sides clear (perhaps some hatching would help here).

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Dec 2022 ==

View attachment 124927

It's hard to believe this is even the same station. What a cramped and gloomy mess Euston has become over the years.

They would do better the strip the concourse back to its bare bones and construct a temporary second one in the forecourt outside until the new HS2 station comes online in the next decade.

I quite like the food mezzanine to be honest. The Tube entrance is however a mess, to the point that I now always enter the Tube via the 8-11 tunnel even if I don't arrive on one of those platforms (though that itself isn't completely ideal as it causes conflicting flows in the Tube station itself*). I guess there'll be something a bit more, er, proper, done with it post HS2?

* This too could be fixed. Most access via the tunnel to 8-11 is entrance, because unless you know platforms off by heart most people won't generally go out that way. Thus it would make sense to reverse both the gatelines (and their positions) and the escalators so it's entry on the 8-11 tunnel side and exit on the other side, and keep right rather than left on the way in, removing the conflict. I suspect the reason it's the way it is is because the ticket machines are on the current entrance side, but hardly anyone buys paper tickets for the Tube now so this probably doesn't matter too much, and you could even move them out to put say 2 in the 8-11 tunnel and 2 by where the Metro News pile is.

 

[Hadders]

I really don't know why they didn't replace the old screens with the new ones. Let's hope they don't pull this sort of stunt at King's Cross.

The one place that desperately needs new departure boards is St Pancras (the ones opposite the ticket offices) - they are not fit for purpose and an utter embarrassment.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I really don't know why they didn't replace the old screens with the new ones. Let's hope they don't pull this sort of stunt at King's Cross.

The one place that desperately needs new departure boards is St Pancras (the ones opposite the ticket offices) - they are not fit for purpose and an utter embarrassment.

Perhaps they could move one of them there and use both sides of the other one to replace the main Euston board, I think both sides of one would give enough modules for a decent job.

I was surprised they used monochrome, blocky LCD at St Pancras when most of the rest of the UK was using orange LED by then. "Calculator screen type" LCD always seems a 1990s technology - that board looks like the old Manchester Piccadilly one and is suffering the same sort of corruption that one did.

On the other hand does that board at St P even need to exist? The station doesn't really have one concourse, so would probably work better with smaller displays distributed around as per say Preston which doesn't really have anywhere obvious for a large main board.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I really don't know why they didn't replace the old screens with the new ones. Let's hope they don't pull this sort of stunt at King's Cross.

The one place that desperately needs new departure boards is St Pancras (the ones opposite the ticket offices) - they are not fit for purpose and an utter embarrassment.

Kings Cross would be a major mistake as the layout would mean boards like Euston's new ones at ground level wouldn't be visible from everywhere on the new concourse. As the current ones are so elevated, they can currently be seen from everywhere on that concourse.

The blue St Pancras ones are appalling.

 

[Hadders]

Kings Cross would be a major mistake as the layout would mean boards like Euston's new ones at ground level wouldn't be visible from everywhere on the new concourse. As the current ones are so elevated, they can currently be seen from everywhere on that concourse.

The blue St Pancras ones are appalling.

The new boards at Euston cannot be seen from the balcony. New old ones could.

 

[physics34]

View attachment 124927

It's hard to believe this is even the same station. What a cramped and gloomy mess Euston has become over the years.

They would do better the strip the concourse back to its bare bones and construct a temporary second one in the forecourt outside until the new HS2 station comes online in the next decade. Something a bit like Boxpark with food outlets and seating. Cramming more and more in the existing concourse, now of course joined by these stand alone departure boards, hasn't helped one bit.

Yep, nice and airy. Felt modern. Like an airport. Do u really need the amount of food outlets that they have now?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Yep, nice and airy. Felt modern. Like an airport. Do u really need the amount of food outlets that they have now?

Something like Heathrow T5 departures entrance hall would be good. Light, spacious, impressive and modern.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yep, nice and airy. Felt modern. Like an airport. Do u really need the amount of food outlets that they have now?

What's changed from then to now is Advance tickets. Back then you'd just take the next train (even given that they weren't anywhere near as frequent so missing one was a mild annoyance). Now, the cost of missing your Advance ticketed train is swingeing, and so people arrive far earlier and need stuff to do. Plus there's no restaurant car like there once was, so they'll want to buy food and drink too.

While I could probably do without the random clothes and accessories shops by the bog, one reason I like Euston is that if you need something you can get it. The retail and food/drink choices are great (even with a few units lost to the seating area and expanded 8-11 ramp) when compared to many other main stations (yes, you, Bristol Temple Meads), and because there's little else directly near the station are very useful.

 

[Hadders]

Yep, nice and airy. Felt modern. Like an airport. Do u really need the amount of food outlets that they have now?

It's not as though the food outlets don't take big business. Seems to me that they are certainly needed. You could get outside businesses to set up shop outside the station but why should the railway lose the valuable rental income.

Also remember there are many more passengers travelling now than in the 1960s.

 

[jon0844]

Kings Cross would be a major mistake as the layout would mean boards like Euston's new ones at ground level wouldn't be visible from everywhere on the new concourse. As the current ones are so elevated, they can currently be seen from everywhere on that concourse.

The blue St Pancras ones are appalling.

I know this isn't the thread, but does anyone know why they haven't been replaced already? They weren't fit for purpose from day one, but the ones on the platforms have at least been changed - yet the summary boards in 'The Circle' are not only confusing because of the way they're divided up by TOC, but many aren't even working and haven't for some time.

It's incredible to see the rollout of these new boards at other major terminals, but StP seem to have forgotten. I am sure they haven't and there are plans, but how long does it take??

 

[zwk500]

I know this isn't the thread, but does anyone know why they haven't been replaced already? They weren't fit for purpose from day one, but the ones on the platforms have at least been changed - yet the summary boards in 'The Circle' are not only confusing because of the way they're divided up by TOC, but many aren't even working and haven't for some time.

It's incredible to see the rollout of these new boards at other major terminals, but StP seem to have forgotten. I am sure they haven't and there are plans, but how long does it take??

One thing that may be a factor is that St Pancras is owned by London & Continental Railways, not Network Rail. Given all 4 platform groups have different displays, I suspect the major factor holding up replacement of the Blue Boards is a funding argument between EMR, NR and LCR.

 

[Horizon22]

Looks to be a systemwide failure as all the main departure boards are down.

Probably blanked due to disruption. Only advertise what is actually running, a normal tactic especially in the initial reporting period of a serious incident.

 

[physics34]

What's changed from then to now is Advance tickets. Back then you'd just take the next train (even given that they weren't anywhere near as frequent so missing one was a mild annoyance). Now, the cost of missing your Advance ticketed train is swingeing, and so people arrive far earlier and need stuff to do. Plus there's no restaurant car like there once was, so they'll want to buy food and drink too.

While I could probably do without the random clothes and accessories shops by the bog, one reason I like Euston is that if you need something you can get it. The retail and food/drink choices are great (even with a few units lost to the seating area and expanded 8-11 ramp) when compared to many other main stations (yes, you, Bristol Temple Meads), and because there's little else directly near the station are very useful.

Points taken. And the pasty shop outside Euston used to do a pukka bacon roll!

 

[gabrielhj07]

You can call a train before the doors are opened. Let it arrive, tip it out, lock the doors and call it.

This is a very good idea. I once waited for an LNWR train at Euston, the crew for which didn’t arrive until 90 seconds before departure. With the platform announced but the doors locked, all the passengers queued sensibly at the doors until they were opened. Only left with a few seconds delay.

 

[zwk500]

This is a very good idea. I once waited for an LNWR train at Euston, the crew for which didn’t arrive until 90 seconds before departure. With the platform announced but the doors locked, all the passengers queued sensibly at the doors until they were opened. Only left with a few seconds delay.

Seen this many a time.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

This is a very good idea. I once waited for an LNWR train at Euston, the crew for which didn’t arrive until 90 seconds before departure. With the platform announced but the doors locked, all the passengers queued sensibly at the doors until they were opened. Only left with a few seconds delay.

Yeah we have a diagram where this happens pretty much everyday due to it being a 12 car being split. Platform does get very full mind you

 

[Taunton]

I was at Euston this evening and can confirm that 3 of the four new departure screens were working. The fourth (the one facing the food couer) was not. I believe it had been deliberately switched off due to the huge volume of passengers on the concourse due to disruption.

This did mean there was a clearer exit route for passengers from platforms 1-7 but passengers from the other platforms would've found it very difficult. Also, I observed passengers standing towsrds the top of the ramps, especially at the top of platforms 8-11. This wouldn't have happened before as the location of the old departure board kept passengers back from the top of the ramps.

It was still out of action 24 hours later. Seems to have been realised that there's a fundamental problem with its siting.

The new boards at Euston cannot be seen from the balcony. New old ones could.

If the new boards had been agreed to be installed, so be it. But why did the old boards have to be switched off?

 

[Basil Jet]

If the new boards had been agreed to be installed, so be it. But why did the old boards have to be switched off?

There is a cost to powering them, and presumably there is a cost to maintaining them.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

If the new boards had been agreed to be installed, so be it. But why did the old boards have to be switched off?

Perhaps because, if you want to study how people react to the new locations (passenger flows, crowd build-up etc) you need to remove the original location to get a true picture?

 

[Taunton]

Perhaps because, if you want to study how people react to the new locations (passenger flows, crowd build-up etc) you need to remove the original location to get a true picture?

But the Arrivals are still up on the old high level board, having seemingly been "forgotten" in the new arrangement, so there are still those looking up there.

And whyever does it need studying. Surely such installations are laid out by those who understand such things.

 

[zwk500]

And whyever does it need studying. Surely such installations are laid out by those who understand such things.

You need practical fieldwork to test that your understanding is correct.

 

[gabrielhj07]

And whyever does it need studying. Surely such installations are laid out by those who understand such things.

How many times has the theory of a project been miles off the result?

 

[Birkonian]

The new boards at Euton troll the passengers. Cancelled trains are displayed with a message 'was calling at'.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The new boards at Euton troll the passengers. Cancelled trains are displayed with a message 'was calling at'.

I wouldn't call that trolling. I do find "Wait" to be quite a surly phrasing though, and should be replaced by "Please wait" - a very minor software fix that really shouldn't have been missed.

 

[DelW]

The new boards at Euston troll the passengers. Cancelled trains are displayed with a message 'was calling at'.

"Hallo passengers .... here is a list of the places we're not going to take you to today".

Sadly we can no longer get it recorded in an appropriate accent by Ruth Madoc

 

[py_megapixel]

I wouldn't call that trolling. I do find "Wait" to be quite a surly phrasing though, and should be replaced by "Please wait" - a very minor software fix that really shouldn't have been missed.

I may have posted this already, but clearly someone at TfL has noticed this, as it appears that "their" section of the board does indeed show "Please wait". Why that change wasn't applied on the whole thing I have no idea.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

The new boards at Euton troll the passengers. Cancelled trains are displayed with a message 'was calling at'.

Bullseye: Here's what you could have won.
National Rail: Here's where you could have travelled to.