Marylebone Station clutter

[frodshamfella]

Ive just boarded the 0800 to Birmingham Moor Street, as a way to get me back to Acton Bridge with Euston being out of action. I haven't been through Marylebone Station for years, and was rather looking forward to returning. How disappointing, possibly the nicest and most relaxed station in London is now full of clutter. Barriers everywhere, a booth for Bicester Village, coffee stands, just looks a mess now. I expect it at the biggers, but was hoping Marylebone had escaped all this and still had its original railway terminus feel.

Oh and the irritating late platform information that is the norm at Euston, seems to have continued to here too.

 

[MerlinRail 804]

Ive just boarded the 0800 to Birmingham Moor Street, as a way to get me back to Acton Bridge with Euston being out of action. I haven't been through Marylebone Station for years, and was rather looking forward to returning. How disappointing, possibly the nicest and most relaxed station in London is now full of clutter. Barriers everywhere, a booth for Bicester Village, coffee stands, just looks a mess now. I expect it at the biggers, but was hoping Marylebone had escaped all this and still had its original railway terminus feel.

Oh and the irritating late platform information that is the norm at Euston, seems to have continued to here too.

Late platform indication is probably due to the stock having arrived from Wembley LMD at 0748 for an 0800 departure, generally they’re much better, apart from short turnarounds like this.

A lot of the barriers are just being used during the blockade, and it’s generally much more empty and chill than over these few days.

 

[Taunton]

Oh and the irritating late platform information that is the norm at Euston, seems to have continued to here too.

Late platform information is actually worse at Marylebone, to the extent of trains (which have been stood for a good while) actually departing empty with the passengers left on the concourse. Of course, they are fully reported as "on time". I've written about this here in the past.

 

[frodshamfella]

There was two trains before mine. The one to Oxford, 2 mins before departure there was no platform. I mean thats just ridiculous.

 

[Budge1980]

They can be very late to announce platforms at Marylebone. Being a traveller from both Euston and Marylebone, I would argue they are equally as bad. If you get an afternoon peak train out of Marylebone leaving from platforms 5-6, it does get a bit ridiculous. Less of an issue from Platforms 1-3. Many of those trains will have been sitting on the platform a good time before they are announced.

A lot of people find public transport extremely stressful, announcing the trains so late, you can see the stress, worry and concern on the faces as they rush to the train at the very end of Platform 5-6, and understandably so that they are. I helped a lady the other day who hadn't travelled on a train for years - from well before lockdown (from HDM) - so stressful did she find it. I persuaded her to board the train, she then tried to get off it again but the doors were locked. This anxiety, not helped by the previous train being cancelled, might be extreme, but railway staff who themselves have a very stressful job, perhaps fail to appreciate that not all passengers are as confident as me.

The clutter does add to the stress levels, as do the ticket machines being (or were) so unresponsive making it difficult to buy the correct ticket and the barriers at Marylebone refusing to accept your ticket for no good reason, causing queues behind the person, adding further to the stress. It is no wonder people refuse to use public transport.

 

[Parallel]

Marylebone has two boarding areas - A and B. Would be good if these were used more in such situations to move passengers closer to their trains, if they aren’t ready for boarding.

 

[NickBucks]

As a regular user I sympathise with the OP but this is a difficult period with Chiltern having to accommodate GWR passengers.I suggest he visits again on say a Wednesday at 11.00am and he will see a different place . With the exception of platforms 5 /6 I don't think the basic footprint of the station has changed since it was built.Compare this with the major alterations which have taken place at Euston,Liverpool St,Kings Cross/ St Pancras etc .The coffee stands,retail outlets etc are there because customers want these things.As other posters have remarked the departure situation is not ideal especially as the staff have a birds eye view of the concourse from their elevated eerie above platform 1!

 

[CyrusWuff]

The queuing system is in place due to the Milton Keynes - Northampton/Rugby blockade until 4th January, meaning Chiltern are providing the only direct service between London and Birmingham.

 

[Western Lord]

As a regular user I sympathise with the OP but this is a difficult period with Chiltern having to accommodate GWR passengers.I suggest he visits again on say a Wednesday at 11.00am and he will see a different place . With the exception of platforms 5 /6 I don't think the basic footprint of the station has changed since it was built.Compare this with the major alterations which have taken place at Euston,Liverpool St,Kings Cross/ St Pancras etc .The coffee stands,retail outlets etc are there because customers want these things.As other posters have remarked the departure situation is not ideal especially as the staff have a birds eye view of the concourse from their elevated eerie above platform 1!

Platforms 5 and 6 are within the original footprint, being the country ends of the original platforms 3 and 4 (the buffer end was sold off for development|). There used to be a cab road where the lines serving the existing platforms 2 and 3 are.

 

[frodshamfella]

They can be very late to announce platforms at Marylebone. Being a traveller from both Euston and Marylebone, I would argue they are equally as bad. If you get an afternoon peak train out of Marylebone leaving from platforms 5-6, it does get a bit ridiculous. Less of an issue from Platforms 1-3. Many of those trains will have been sitting on the platform a good time before they are announced.

A lot of people find public transport extremely stressful, announcing the trains so late, you can see the stress, worry and concern on the faces as they rush to the train at the very end of Platform 5-6, and understandably so that they are. I helped a lady the other day who hadn't travelled on a train for years - from well before lockdown (from HDM) - so stressful did she find it. I persuaded her to board the train, she then tried to get off it again but the doors were locked. This anxiety, not helped by the previous train being cancelled, might be extreme, but railway staff who themselves have a very stressful job, perhaps fail to appreciate that not all passengers are as confident as me.

The clutter does add to the stress levels, as do the ticket machines being (or were) so unresponsive making it difficult to buy the correct ticket and the barriers at Marylebone refusing to accept your ticket for no good reason, causing queues behind the person, adding further to the stress. It is no wonder people refuse to use public transport.

Totally agree, I like train travel, but even I find the experience these days do more to dissuade passengers. Late boarding and barriers to access platforms are my pet hates, particularly when they shut on you when you are travelling with luggage, or don't recognise your ticket. For those who dont use rail often, all this would put you off. I did notice the ticket machines in the middle of the concourse in Marylebone which again felt like clutter to a lovely station.

 

[Djgr]

Ive just boarded the 0800 to Birmingham Moor Street, as a way to get me back to Acton Bridge with Euston being out of action. I haven't been through Marylebone Station for years, and was rather looking forward to returning. How disappointing, possibly the nicest and most relaxed station in London is now full of clutter. Barriers everywhere, a booth for Bicester Village, coffee stands, just looks a mess now. I expect it at the biggers, but was hoping Marylebone had escaped all this and still had its original railway terminus feel.

Oh and the irritating late platform information that is the norm at Euston, seems to have continued to here too.

Agreed. Late boarding for some of the platforms leads to the 100m sprint.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Agreed. Late boarding for some of the platforms leads to the 100m sprint.

Fortunately, unlike Euston, the staff don't take exception to people using Realtime Trains and heading to platforms early, except during WCML closures where they like to operate a queueing system.

Personally I still quite like Marylebone, but the toilets are absolutely disgusting. Fix that and I'd be reasonably happy.

 

[MerlinRail 804]

Fortunately, unlike Euston, the staff don't take exception to people using Realtime Trains and heading to platforms early, except during WCML closures where they like to operate a queueing system.

Yup I’ve never had an issue with going to platforms early, even before there is actually a train there

 

[CyrusWuff]

I did notice the ticket machines in the middle of the concourse in Marylebone which again felt like clutter to a lovely station.

The ticket machines have been there for years, dating back to when it was just two QuickFare machines, as shown on the homepage of the ATOC Rail Travel Account website (which also shows Platform 4 when it still extended the full length of the trainshed.)

Their location is contrained by where power and data cables can be run from, plus the station being a listed building.

 

[Sheridan]

Totally agree, I like train travel, but even I find the experience these days do more to dissuade passengers. Late boarding and barriers to access platforms are my pet hates, particularly when they shut on you when you are travelling with luggage, or don't recognise your ticket. For those who dont use rail often, all this would put you off. I did notice the ticket machines in the middle of the concourse in Marylebone which again felt like clutter to a lovely station.

When you have luggage, do you use the wide gates? In some places I’ve seen signs advising passengers with suitcases to use them, the implication being that it won’t shut on you, but I haven’t taken anything more than a backpack on a train for a few years so I can’t say I’ve tested it myself!

 

[rmHawk765]

When you have luggage, do you use the wide gates? In some places I’ve seen signs advising passengers with suitcases to use them, the implication being that it won’t shut on you, but I haven’t taken anything more than a backpack on a train for a few years so I can’t say I’ve tested it myself!

They're easier to use with large suitcases, of course, and their slower closing make them a bit easier to deal with if they do close on you.

 

[frodshamfella]

Fortunately, unlike Euston, the staff don't take exception to people using Realtime Trains and heading to platforms early, except during WCML closures where they like to operate a queueing system.

Personally I still quite like Marylebone, but the toilets are absolutely disgusting. Fix that and I'd be reasonably happy.

Yes ive noticed that at Euston

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Dec 2025 ==

When you have luggage, do you use the wide gates? In some places I’ve seen signs advising passengers with suitcases to use them, the implication being that it won’t shut on you, but I haven’t taken anything more than a backpack on a train for a few years so I can’t say I’ve tested it myself!

I do use those when I can .