Euston Departure Boards

[bramling]

Do these conflicts not just happen at a different point? I find it very difficult to get to the escalators from the concourse since I have to fight through the flow of people doing the 180° turn in the opposite direction to me.

Some conflicts occur outside, yes, though what happens outside is less of the railway’s problem. What is perhaps more of an issue is the conflicts that occur at the base of the NR escalators, as the altered design does seem to mean that more people use the rather inadequate stairs now.

The LU booking hall and low-level passageways are also pretty much unfit for purpose at times, notably weekends, however it’s hard to see what could easily be done to improve this as a quick win.

 

[thomalex]

It's because of the night tube, as they need to be able to close the NR station at night, while still allowing entrance to the tube station. I find it hard to believe that a better solution couldn't have been found though.

They simply need to have an entrance on the left into the station with a gate that can be closed when necessary.

 

[Russel]

They simply need to have an entrance on the left into the station with a gate that can be closed when necessary.

Yeah, true, I don't see any good reason that wasn't done.

 

[Kettledrum]

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

I am agnostic about the departure boards, but the earlier boarding is very welcome indeed. Perhaps some other operators could take note (East Midland Railway's platforms at St Pancras in particular)

 

[DelW]

Resurrecting an oldish discussion here, simply because yesterday was the first time I'd been through Euston since the changes made last year, apparently in response to so many complaints: specifically the departures boards back to the main overhead display, and the earlier boarding announcements.

It's really noticeable how much more pleasant the experience was, compared with that under the previous regime. Although it was a Saturday (admittedly at a quiet time of year), the concourse wasn't crowded, boarding wasn't rushed, the ticket check was quick and civilised, and as far as I could tell, everyone was on board in time to settle in before an on-time departure.

So well done to whoever in NR station management authorised the changes. Maybe eventually a better solution may be found for access between the main escalators and the concourse, but good progress so far in eliminating the infamous "scrum".

 

[Bletchleyite]

Removing that one sideways board has made a huge difference just as I predicted it would. The one that remains might (I can't decide) actually draw people to stand towards the other end away from the main pedestrian flow towards the Tube, so it should perhaps stay there, though I'm yet to see it like that in severe disruption to see if it still causes people to stand in the "tunnel" blocking the platform accesses. It certainly seems easier to exit at that end now.

 

[Hadders]

Looks like the remaining ‘new screen’ is being dismantled.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Slightly surprising, as I thought that one being there actually attracted people away from the busier "walk through" end by the Tube so I didn't mind it remaining, unlike the one that was removed first which was definitely in the way. But maybe it is still causing people to stand in the "tunnel" at that end when it's super busy.

Back to normal at least

 

[DarloRich]

Looks like the remaining ‘new screen’ is being dismantled.

it was in use yesterday evening!

 

[ScottGallagher]

Looks like the remaining ‘new screen’ is being dismantled.

Good use of the column there for a quick reference departure board

 

[thomalex]

Looks like the remaining ‘new screen’ is being dismantled.

Excellent news. Anything to remove clutter from this space the better.

 

[Horizon22]

Looks like the remaining ‘new screen’ is being dismantled.

What a spectacular failed experiment and waste of money that whole debacle was. It’s this sort of dire management that gives the railway a bad name.

 

[Bletchleyite]

What a spectacular failed experiment and waste of money that whole debacle was. It’s this sort of dire management that gives the railway a bad name.

One could almost suggest that the railway should post anything they're planning on trying on the Speculative part of this forum and let us rip it to bits. Everyone who ever used Euston when busy could tell them that what they did wouldn't work. The worst thing about it was that there were ways in which a transverse board could have worked, just not the way they actually did it.

Never mind, that's just ten million or so down the bog for absolutely no gain.

I suppose they can be used for spares for the outside boards, though, which are useful.

 

[edwin_m]

One could almost suggest that the railway should post anything they're planning on trying on the Speculative part of this forum and let us rip it to bits.

I think that's a recipe for never changing anything.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think that's a recipe for never changing anything.

To be fair, in Euston's case, that would have been the better option. After all it's just now back the way it was albeit with a new high level board.

 

[Russel]

Excellent news. Anything to remove clutter from this space the better.

Indeed, shame there is no plan to get rid of the recent mezzanine food court on the concourse and it's associated stairs and escalators

One could almost suggest that the railway should post anything they're planning on trying on the Speculative part of this forum and let us rip it to bits. Everyone who ever used Euston when busy could tell them that what they did wouldn't work. The worst thing about it was that there were ways in which a transverse board could have worked, just not the way they actually did it.

Never mind, that's just ten million or so down the bog for absolutely no gain.

I suppose they can be used for spares for the outside boards, though, which are useful.

I don't find any of the boards at Euston useful to be honest, they only show a small number of departures and usually don't display the platform number, just "Please Wait"...

The big display screen is wasted too, there is room for so much more information yet half of it isn't used!

 

[The Planner]

Indeed, shame there is no plan to get rid of the recent mezzanine food court on the concourse and it's associated stairs and escalators

Why would you want rid of those?

 

[Hadders]

Indeed, shame there is no plan to get rid of the recent mezzanine food court on the concourse and it's associated stairs and escalators

That would remove a significant amount of floorspace which is used by people waiting for trains.

Euston desparately needs redevelopment but we all know why that hasn't happened. The concourse has been significantly decluttered compared to the early 2000s. The shops around the pillars have gone, stores like Boots that was next to the ticket office have gone to open space and the ramp down to P8-11 has been widened. It's not perfect but it's better than it was.

 

[Russel]

Why would you want rid of those?

It's just more clutter and space taken up on the concourse, the stairs and escalators along with the recently added walls the segregate the Underground entrance create pinch points around the entrance/exit to the station.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Feb 2026 ==

That would remove a significant amount of floorspace which is used by people waiting for trains.

It may be a significant amount of space, but it's mostly tables and chairs so it's so not really a high capacity area, I doubt loosing it would make a huge difference.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I was at Euston yesterday and had a drink watching the displays. Looked really good to me.

 

[Bald Rick]

It may be a significant amount of space, but it's mostly tables and chairs so it's so not really a high capacity area, I doubt loosing it would make a huge difference.

Losing it would make a difference, both to waiting space (the mezzanine holds well over 500 people sitting comfortably, and more when crowded), and consequently passenger satisfaction.

 

[ScottGallagher]

That would remove a significant amount of floorspace which is used by people waiting for trains.

Euston desparately needs redevelopment but we all know why that hasn't happened. The concourse has been significantly decluttered compared to the early 2000s. The shops around the pillars have gone, stores like Boots that was next to the ticket office have gone to open space and the ramp down to P8-11 has been widened. It's not perfect but it's better than it was.

The Boots space is really now an assistance buggy parking area though. Within 5 years i would bet the ticket office area will be swallowed up for a bigger concourse and only a handful of positions to remain with the assistance desk room moved further back there too.

 

[WolvertonWorks]

The Boots space is really now an assistance buggy parking area though. Within 5 years i would bet the ticket office area will be swallowed up for a bigger concourse and only a handful of positions to remain with the assistance desk room moved further back there too.

Within five years I'd hope they might have also updated and provided more ladies loos!!

There is almost always a queue for the ladies and it sometimes backs up so far as to make entrance/exit from the end platforms difficult.

While the staff do their best to keep the ladies toilets clean they are looking really tacky and can't give a very good first impression of London to foreign tourists who have arrived by train having flown into somewhere like Manchester or Birmingham.

 

[DelW]

I don't find any of the boards at Euston useful to be honest, they only show a small number of departures and usually don't display the platform number, just "Please Wait"...

The big display screen is wasted too, there is room for so much more information yet half of it isn't used!

I'm surprised that the outer ends of the big screen haven't had adverts returned to what are currently blank spaces, to recoup some of the revenue that must have been lost. The section that's in use seems to have enough space for at least half an hour's worth of departures, which is probably enough for the great majority of passengers.

Display of platform numbers is deferred until train preparation has been completed, and does now seem to be more timely than was the case in recent years (when last-minute announcements were widely complained about).

 

[All Line Rover]

Looks like the remaining ‘new screen’ is being dismantled.

With signs proudly announcing that NR's new works are "improving" the station. You couldn't make this sort of folly up.

 

[185]

Looks like the remaining ‘new screen’ is being dismantled.

Tadaaaaa

 

[Bletchleyite]

Tadaaaaa

Good riddance!

 

[Russel]

Display of platform numbers is deferred until train preparation has been completed, and does now seem to be more timely than was the case in recent years (when last-minute announcements were widely complained about).

It's better, yes, but still not great.

 

[Belperpete]

Within five years I'd hope they might have also updated and provided more ladies loos!!

There is almost always a queue for the ladies and it sometimes backs up so far as to make entrance/exit from the end platforms difficult.

While the staff do their best to keep the ladies toilets clean they are looking really tacky and can't give a very good first impression of London to foreign tourists who have arrived by train having flown into somewhere like Manchester or Birmingham.

The station really needs two sets of loos, on opposite sides of the concourse. Then at quiet times, one set could be taken out of use for a proper freshen up, repairs, etc.

 

[Russel]

The station really needs two sets of loos, on opposite sides of the concourse. Then at quiet times, one set could be taken out of use for a proper freshen up, repairs, etc.

This is a decent suggestion, but I can't think where a second set of toilets could go, I think you'd have to take out a lot of retail units to generate the space needed.