Euston evacuated (16/04)

[bengolding]

Just been thrown out of VT 1st Lounge. Car on fire, apparently. Station evacuated.

 

[transportphoto]

"A problem under investigation at London Euston means the station has been evacuated and services are currently suspended." - NRE

 

[infobleep]

Just what they need during peak rush hour. I assume all trains into Euston will be brought to a stand still.

In these circumstances do drivers and guards have to abandon their trains, once they are secure - assuming they make them secure in these situations.

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[sonic2009]

Apparently it's a Taxi.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Black cab on fire outside the station. Been put out by the water squirters.

 

[user15681]

Euston evacuations are horrific (not that any are good). Everyone just gathers in the area outside. 10 minutes or so for re-opening.

 

[Saint66]

Virgin Trains just tweeted stating they cannot regain access to the station yet due to excess smoke.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
London Midland expect trains running again within half an hour. The usual ticket acceptance has already been set up with other operators.

 

[craig87034]

Euston has now reopened

 

[GWRtom]

Not exactly what you want in rush hour.

 

[sonic2009]

Also with it being the school holidays, will be a nightmare for a few hours after 7pm. (Cheap tickets valid then).

 

[transportphoto]

Also with it being the school holidays, will be a nightmare for a few hours after 7pm. (Cheap tickets valid then).

Peak time restrictions have been lifted, on VT at least.

Due to the disruption at London Euston, peak time restrictions have now been lifted from Euston for today.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

 

[racyrich]

Makes you wonder how life carried on when steam locos had the temerity to push smoke into stations.

 

[Cletus]

What happen when the doors are opened? A stampede?

 

[tsr]

Makes you wonder how life carried on when steam locos had the temerity to push smoke into stations.

There's a big difference between steam and smoke entering an area with a large trainshed (in a reasonably controlled & certainly expected manner) and toxic* smoke from a car fire entering the enclosed corridors, tunnels and shop units of the modern-day Euston station!

*Probably

 

[edwin_m]

I passed through a few hours before - it would have really made my day if I'd been caught up in that.

Was the fire in the underground cab rank? I can imagine if so that any smoke would quickly rise up into the concourse. Brain of the month award to whoever decided in 1968ish that putting taxis and cars under the station would be a good idea.

 

[causton]

What happen when the doors are opened? A stampede?

If an idiot opens all the doors at once, yes! Anyone who has ever taken place in a workplace or school fire drill would know that one door is opened and people are taken slowly back in, one line at a time

 

[Saint66]

Services didn't recommence straight away after re-opening either, so there would be no rush to get everyone back in.

 

[Jones]

There's a big difference between steam and smoke entering an area with a large trainshed (in a reasonably controlled & certainly expected manner) and toxic* smoke from a car fire entering the enclosed corridors, tunnels and shop units of the modern-day Euston station!

*Probably

Car fires are very toxic.

Stations in the days of steam had more ventilation I'm guessing.....

 

[plymothian]

OK, the station might have been evacuated, but where people have been evacuated to is not particularly fit for purpose if the actual building was on fire.

 

[Darren R]

OK, the station might have been evacuated, but where people have been evacuated to is not particularly fit for purpose if the actual building was on fire.

I thought that when I saw the photograph! But at least it was a nice day for it!

 

[Michael.Y]

OK, the station might have been evacuated, but where people have been evacuated to is not particularly fit for purpose if the actual building was on fire.

:roll:

Yes but the building WASN'T on fire was it? If it was, I doubt people - even London commuters - would stand that close to it, would they? Even if they were as brainless as to do so, the fire brigade would enforce a minimum safe distance. They are obviously waiting there because they are under the impression that the fire is of a small enough size and nature that they will be let back IN to the station some time soon.

 

[TEW]

Even if the station isn't on fire it can't be ideal for people to congregate there. It would make access for the emergency services more difficult if they needed to use that entrance. If the building suddenly did burst in to flames it could still take a little while for people to funnel out of that area too. Much better to get people away from the building.

 

[WCML]

I see from the photos that the asbestos decontamination units are still there. Are there more works to be completed? Are they going to strip the rest of the front of the station? Are they going to do anything with the mess created following the recent works?

To be fair to all those involved, the situation tonight was handled well and serices returned to normal quite quickly.

 

[bengolding]

I see from the photos that the asbestos decontamination units are still there. Are there more works to be completed? Are they going to strip the rest of the front of the station? Are they going to do anything with the mess created following the recent works?

To be fair to all those involved, the situation tonight was handled well and serices returned to normal quite quickly.

You've got to be kidding! Whilst an unavoidable situation, info was non-existent for 45 mins amongst the throng outside. Even loudspeakers would have sufficed but we heard nothing. Some disabled people seemed to have been abandoned and left to fend for themselves. At 1800, I gave up and walked to St Pancras to catch an EMT train. Lo and behold, on arrival there were automated announcements advising of alternative routes for displaced Euston passengers, but nothing at Euston to advise us of dual ticket acceptance.

 

[cyclebytrain]

Am I the only person who looked at this picture and thought that it looks like they evacuated people to pretty much directly above where the fire was?

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Can't spot the taxi rank in Google Earth or Streetview, where are the taxi ranks relative to the bit in the picture?

 

[infobleep]

Can't spot the taxi rank in Google Earth or Streetview, where are the taxi ranks relative to the bit in the picture?

It's underground. One place Google currently don't penetrate.

As for loud speakers. I imagine they had to all evacuate so had no time to get such things, assuming they even have some at Euston. I'd hope they would own some megaphones.

I saw megaphones being used at Guildford in the last fewa years when they had power cut issues affecting the town centre and station. So some stations still owned such things.

That and the boards with the more important hand written train times, gave an old fashioned feel to the station.

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[DarloRich]

Makes you wonder how life carried on when steam locos had the temerity to push smoke into stations.

yes how right you are - but for one rather obvious fact: The fire in a steam engine is held in an area both designed to hold fire and contain that fire within the defined area.

The exhaust gasses are also able to vent safely away from the fire containing area rather than generally swill about causing further problems for people

Finally stream engines do not regularly allow their fire to escape, allowing other items to "become on fire" with the potential for them to explode!

A car on fire isn’t designed in quite the same way! :roll::roll::roll:

 

[plymothian]

:roll:

Yes but the building WASN'T on fire was it? If it was, I doubt people - even London commuters - would stand that close to it, would they? Even if they were as brainless as to do so, the fire brigade would enforce a minimum safe distance. They are obviously waiting there because they are under the impression that the fire is of a small enough size and nature that they will be let back IN to the station some time soon.

:roll:

Yeah, we know now the building wasn't on fire. But when Inspector Sands went to evacuate not every person in the building knew where or how big the fire was or could potentially get. Better to play safe?
And yeah commuters still walked through a burning underground station.