Euston Departure Boards

[Hazlehead]

At Euston today looks like they are dismantling the "new" departure screens. Screens have been removed & contractors are removing the wiring

 

[Bletchleyite]

Thank goodness for that. The whole sorry saga done with, and millions wasted along the way.

 

[stadler]

At Euston today looks like they dismantling the "new" departure screens. Screens removed & contractors removing wiring

Why do they need that massive tall wall put up just to dismantle the boards. That seems like a massive overkill. Surely just some simple temporary barriers (like what gets used for temporary queueing systems) would have been far cheaper and quicker to set up.

But good to see them taken down. It will add less clutter to the concourse. They should never have replaced the large main boards in the first place.

 

[class442]

Awesome. I was there on the night they were being put up, I remember it was a described as a 'trial'.

The main reason I didn't like them is that they had different info on each side, e.g. train times on one side and disruption advice on the other, meaning you had to circle them to get the full message. Very inefficient compared to having all info on one plane.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Awesome. I was there on the night they were being put up, I remember it was a described as a 'trial'.

It was as much of a "trial" as the LNER fare increase one - but at least common sense has prevailed here!

Removing the "trial" boards is the final welcome step which should prevent people standing blocking the platform "tunnel" as it'll revert to not being possible to see a board from there as was the case before. It's interesting how their modelling software said it would "work" but none of us who used the station frequently thought it would or did - it just caused people to stand in the way of the route from the corner entrance doors to the platforms. It'd have worked if the entrances were in the middle (as say the main access from the Tube is at Paddington), but the location of the Tube escalators make that impossible.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Oct 2025 ==

The main reason I didn't like them is that they had different info on each side, e.g. train times on one side and disruption advice on the other, meaning you had to circle them to get the full message. Very inefficient compared to having all info on one plane.

That was actually a later change to resolve a problem they caused, namely that having train departure information on the board on the right facing the platforms meant everyone stood blocking the main entrance from the Tube (as that was the first board you saw on entering from there, and the vast majority of passengers enter on that side as it's the main route from the Tube, the bus station, Kings X/St P and the Euston Road - people entering from the Euston Square side are far fewer in number). It was therefore necessary to remove departure information, and so the board didn't look stupid because it was blank they put the disruption information on it instead.

I did think it might work better if they removed that board and only had one transverse one about two thirds of the way down (i.e. roughly where the second one was) so people would enter from the Tube and then naturally move towards it out of the way, but really putting it back where it was originally is so much better.

 

[PG]

OT - I note from the second photo 6 mins until departure time that the 1341 Liverpool doesn't have a platform on the screen yet!

 

[Hazlehead]

I

Why do they need that massive tall wall put up just to dismantle the boards. That seems like a massive overkill. Surely just some simple temporary barriers (like what gets used for temporary queueing systems) would have been far cheaper and quicker to set up.

But good to see them taken down. It will add less clutter to the concourse. They should never have replaced the large main boards in the first place.

I assume as they are taking off screws, nuts & bolts, pulling out wires etc and also using lift ladders working at height to dismantle the pillars & framework that there is the risk of bits flying off in all directions or parts dropped so Health & safety will dictate that boards are needed

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Oct 2025 ==

OT - I note from the second photo 6 mins until departure time that the 1341 Liverpool doesn't have a platform on the screen yet!

I think a train had failed in the station so stepping up sets

 

[Sorcerer]

While I am glad they are getting rid of the smaller departure boards, it still feels like a bit of a shambles. Having people looking up at a single large departure board just works better at station like Euston with it's limited space. The only way that they could've made it worse is if they put the smaller departure boards in the corridor between the concourse and the platforms (please don't get any ideas Network Rail).

 

[edwin_m]

Why do they need that massive tall wall put up just to dismantle the boards. That seems like a massive overkill. Surely just some simple temporary barriers (like what gets used for temporary queueing systems) would have been far cheaper and quicker to set up.

But good to see them taken down. It will add less clutter to the concourse. They should never have replaced the large main boards in the first place.

I assume as they are taking off screws, nuts & bolts, pulling out wires etc and also using lift ladders working at height to dismantle the pillars & framework that there is the risk of bits flying off in all directions or parts dropped so Health & safety will dictate that boards are needed

Looking at the photo, they would need that much space to move those elevating platforms around, particularly if one needed to drive round to the other side of the screens.

Interesting though that the only person visible working at height has foregone the elevating platform for a less safe step ladder.

 

[ScottGallagher]

Where will they end up, are there any places where they would make an actual improvement. Surely they won't just be dumped.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Where will they end up, are there any places where they would make an actual improvement. Surely they won't just be dumped.

There are two such boards outside so would be useful for spares.

 

[Horizon22]

I note Network Rail hired a new "Head of Station Operations" for Euston whose main work seems to have been undoing all the disastrous decisions from the last couple of years and implementing many of the common-sense approaches (like earlier boarding) that most of the forum had identified.

 

[OuterDistant]

Even to an occasional station user, these things were ****ing useless.

Let's hope they never do anything like this again.

 

[Bald Rick]

I note Network Rail hired a new "Head of Station Operations" for Euston whose main work seems to have been undoing all the disastrous decisions from the last couple of years and implementing many of the common-sense approaches (like earlier boarding) that most of the forum had identified.

She’s very good.

 

[Kite159]

Where will they end up, are there any places where they would make an actual improvement. Surely they won't just be dumped.

Maybe at Paddington?

At least they are keeping the one in the smoking area outside the station, useful at a glance to see if the train you were hoping to catch hasn't been cancelled

 

[nlogax]

Very happy to see these things go.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Oct 2025 ==

It was as much of a "trial" as the LNER fare increase one - but at least common sense has prevailed here!

Thinking back it took a change of government to make this happen.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Thinking back it took a change of government to make this happen.

I think it was a spot of populism that got the Government directly involved in it, wasn't it? Not always negative I guess...

 

[DarloRich]

and millions wasted along the way.

Correct - a lot of advertising revenue lost.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Correct - a lot of advertising revenue lost.

Interestingly there used to be video advertising boards about the size of a standard outdoor poster at both ends of the old board which didn't really bother anybody - at present this space is blank, presumably because they are nervous of the fallout of putting the adverts back there.

However, if you're actually suggesting it was a good idea, I'm going to suggest you spend too much time going Fenny<->MKC and don't use Euston enough to know how much of an utter disaster this change was for the station.

 

[DarloRich]

However, if you're actually suggesting it was a good idea, I'm going to suggest you spend too much time going Fenny<->MKC and don't use Euston enough to know how much of an utter disaster this change was for the station.

I am in Euston several times a week so the changes with screens didn't really bother me. What bothers me more is the underground entrance/exit layout. The flow of people doesn't seem to work properly.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I am in Euston several times a week so the changes with screens didn't really bother me.

Odd, as to me it was the most stupid thing that has ever been done to the station, it caused all manner of problems with flows into, out of and around the station, particularly when busy.

What bothers me more is the underground entrance/exit layout. The flow of people doesn't seem to work properly.

I'd agree that the 180 degree turn there really doesn't work. I know why they wanted to separate them, but I think I would reopen the access directly into the station and only close it when there is a need to segregate e.g. out of hours and during severe disruption.

 

[Mikey C]

An example of where "leaving it the railway experts" results in a terrible decision.

And not the only bad decision in London terminals. The ludicrously small toilets provided in the London Bridge rebuild being another terrible choice.

 

[DarloRich]

Odd, as to me it was the most stupid thing that has ever been done to the station, it caused all manner of problems with flows into, out of and around the station, particularly when busy.

the screens were/are much easier to read than the ones they replaced. They are clear, bright, colourful and helpful - they were just in the wrong place.

I try just to get on with things and not worry about small items. Honestly the concourse didn't seem any worse or better with the screens there. It is ALWAYS crowded at peak times. You just have to bash through!

 

[BurtonM]

Are they going to address the scrum next, or is that wishful thinking?

 

[800001]

Are they going to address the scrum next, or is that wishful thinking?

They have.........lots and lots of trains now board 20 minutes or longer before departure time.

 

[edwin_m]

the screens were/are much easier to read than the ones they replaced. They are clear, bright, colourful and helpful - they were just in the wrong place.

How does the the current big screen compare for legibility with the one in the same place that was replaced?

 

[BurtonM]

They have.........lots and lots of trains now board 20 minutes or longer before departure time.

 

[DarloRich]

How does the the current big screen compare for legibility with the one in the same place that was replaced?

Oh much better - it what should have happened in the first place!

 

[Hazlehead]

Was rushing through today so I didn't manage to get a photo but the one yesterday has now gone, bar the 2 pillars of course. They'll move onto the second one tonight I've been told

 

[Skie]

But they had heat maps and everything to prove the stupid new boards were a better solution!