How can the toilets at Euston be improved?

[Bletchleyite]

The ladies needs to be much larger. As a man it’s embarrassing being able to walk past a queue of women, go to the toilet and exit passing the same women in the queue.

The toilets also need a proper refurbishment. They were tarted up last year but this only extended to new cubicle doors and worktops. The actual fittings, taps etc were not changed.

Compared to Kings Cross the toilets at Euston aren’t good.

The main ladies at STP (in the modern area) are also way too small. No excuse really, for a money no object build.

Didn't they get refurbished with the Mens toilets last year? The men's is same layout but much cleaner and the horrid smell has gone (for now)

Even the mens I find quite small though for a station the size of Euston.

Last time I was in there - about a month ago - some of the wash hand basins were out of action.

I think that, yes, the cubicle decor was updated some time in the last year or so. But not the wash hand basin area.

But the underlying problem is there just aren't enough of them for the amount of passengers at times.

I would say to be honest that St Pancras is worse - it's way too small for the huge footfall.

But the main problem to me with Euston's gents is that it stinks. There's basically no ventilation. This (together with providing more ladies' toilets as there really aren't enough of those) would be my priority.

In terms of providing more, a space that could allow installation of some sort of modular buildings with more cubicles (rather than urinals for quick use) would be down on Platform 1/2 on the roadway that is no longer used that I know of (it used to be used for replacement buses). That is behind a gateline, but that (assuming it's set to allow multiple entries/exits on the same barcodes/paper tickets so it doesn't then cause problems for people boarding trains) might have the benefit of allowing nicer toilets to be provided for ticket holders only - sadly in London free outside-gateline toilets are often subject to misuse and so do get unpleasant at times, though Euston is nowhere near as bad as Charing Cross. It could perhaps be accompanied by a ticket holders-only seated waiting area for those with longer to wait.

 

[RunRepeat]

I would say to be honest that St Pancras is worse - it's way too small for the huge footfall.

But the main problem to me with Euston's gents is that it stinks. There's basically no ventilation. This (together with providing more ladies' toilets as there really aren't enough of those) would be my priority.

In terms of providing more, a space that could allow installation of some sort of modular buildings with more cubicles (rather than urinals for quick use) would be down on Platform 1/2 on the roadway that is no longer used that I know of (it used to be used for replacement buses). That is behind a gateline, but that (assuming it's set to allow multiple entries/exits on the same barcodes/paper tickets so it doesn't then cause problems for people boarding trains) might have the benefit of allowing nicer toilets to be provided for ticket holders only - sadly in London free outside-gateline toilets are often subject to misuse and so do get unpleasant at times, though Euston is nowhere near as bad as Charing Cross. It could perhaps be accompanied by a ticket holders-only seated waiting area for those with longer to wait.

There are plans to fully redevlop the Euston station toilets with them moving across to the platform side close to where they are. I have some knowledge around the smell issue there (don't ask, job related) and it's mainly structural, ie what's going on behind/underneath the bits you can see.

 

[Russel]

I would say to be honest that St Pancras is worse - it's way too small for the huge footfall.

But the main problem to me with Euston's gents is that it stinks. There's basically no ventilation. This (together with providing more ladies' toilets as there really aren't enough of those) would be my priority.

In terms of providing more, a space that could allow installation of some sort of modular buildings with more cubicles (rather than urinals for quick use) would be down on Platform 1/2 on the roadway that is no longer used that I know of (it used to be used for replacement buses). That is behind a gateline, but that (assuming it's set to allow multiple entries/exits on the same barcodes/paper tickets so it doesn't then cause problems for people boarding trains) might have the benefit of allowing nicer toilets to be provided for ticket holders only - sadly in London free outside-gateline toilets are often subject to misuse and so do get unpleasant at times, though Euston is nowhere near as bad as Charing Cross. It could perhaps be accompanied by a ticket holders-only seated waiting area for those with longer to wait.

What is the issue at Charring Cross? Only used them a couple of times but they were on par with Euston for smell and cleanliness.

There are plans to fully redevlop the Euston station toilets with them moving across to the platform side close to where they are. I have some knowledge around the smell issue there (don't ask, job related) and it's mainly structural, ie what's going on behind/underneath the bits you can see.

Would that be to where the empty shop unit is opposite the toilets now? (Starbucks was it?)

 

[Wolfie]

What is the issue at Charring Cross? Only used them a couple of times but they were on par with Euston for smell and cleanliness.



Would that be to where the empty shop unit is opposite the toilets now? (Starbucks was it?)

Put it this way, a former colleague of mine was offered £20 for a handjob at Charing Cross....

 

[Russel]

Put it this way, a former colleague of mine was offered £20 for a handjob at Charing Cross....

I've only used Charing Cross toilets during the day so I guess I miss out on such generous offers then!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Put it this way, a former colleague of mine was offered £20 for a handjob at Charing Cross....

Didn't get any of that, but I did witness a drunk, obviously homeless person stumbling round with his trousers round his ankles and eventually falling over, and other stuff like that. It's enough of a problem that they've now posted security guards at the top of the stairs, or at least did last time I was there.

 

[Russel]

Didn't get any of that, but I did witness a drunk, obviously homeless person stumbling round with his trousers round his ankles and eventually falling over, and other stuff like that. It's enough of a problem that they've now posted security guards at the top of the stairs, or at least did last time I was there.

Come to think of it, every time I've used them there has been cleaning staff hanging around, so maybe they are there all the time to act as a deterrent.

 

[Mikey C]

Put it this way, a former colleague of mine was offered £20 for a handjob at Charing Cross....

The previous toilets at Charing Cross used to have a fair bit of that going on. The steps to them were from the middle of the concourse I think, as there used to be shops there.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The previous toilets at Charing Cross used to have a fair bit of that going on. The steps to them were from the middle of the concourse I think, as there used to be shops there.

Yes, I remember that. Suspect they're the same toilets, just with the entrance stairs moved?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

And yet very rarely is there a queue for the men's. The occupancy screen is useful for the cubicles is handy.

It's often inaccurate; I've frequently seen the coloured lights above the cubicle doors showing the wrong colour ( i.e. very often green when the cubicle is occupied and locked and less often red when empty and the door is wide open ) and the screen counts from the system that works the indications...

I should add that isn't a fault specific to Euston; I've noticed the same at Paddington.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Toilets/restrooms at stations and airports is one are where the US gets it right. A station with the footfall of Euston should be almost world class imho.

 

[Wolfie]

Toilets/restrooms at stations and airports is one are where the US gets it right. A station with the footfall of Euston should be almost world class imho.

Not sure, having experienced some bloody awful facilities in the US with doors with so many gaps that you may have well gone in public, that l agree.

 

[Backroom_boy]

Not sure, having experienced some bloody awful facilities in the US with doors with so many gaps that you may have well gone in public, that l agree.

Those gaps are intentional I think. A different trade off between privacy and surveillance

 

[WolvertonWorks]

It's often inaccurate; I've frequently seen the coloured lights above the cubicle doors showing the wrong colour ( i.e. very often green when the cubicle is occupied and locked and less often red when empty and the door is wide open ) and the screen counts from the system that works the indications...

I should add that isn't a fault specific to Euston; I've noticed the same at Paddington.

Yes, this is a problem with the ladies at Euston, the queue stretches outside yet there are empty cubicles because people are believing the indicator number and not looking to the left of the entrance where there are frequently empty cubicles.

I would like to see the new toilets being a single space with just cubicles and no Ladies and Gents demarcation so just the one queue, if queues still develop.

In my experience, where these unisex loos are provided the throughput is much faster for everyone. You can still have a small bank of urinals in another location if there's room.

A couple of years ago we were in the Scandic Gottenburgh Central hotel and it had the biggest (unisex) loo I have ever seen, there must have been about thirty cubicles ranged along each side of a very large room. I think there was a bank of wash-hand basins and dryers in the centre.

Another point - why do loo designers so often put the hand dryers by the entrance/exit or other unsuitable place so one is making things inconvenient for others while standing there using the dyer.

 

[deltic]

I would like to see the new toilets being a single space with just cubicles and no Ladies and Gents demarcation so just the one queue, if queues still develop.

In my experience, where these unisex loos are provided the throughput is much faster for everyone. You can still have a small bank of urinals in another location if there's room.

A couple of years ago we were in the Scandic Gottenburgh Central hotel and it had the biggest (unisex) loo I have ever seen, there must have been about thirty cubicles ranged along each side of a very large room. I think there was a bank of wash-hand basins and dryers in the centre.

Id suggest the clientale of the hotel and Euston station toilets are rather different. It is interesting to see some European trains have moved away from onboard unisex toilets and have separate male and female ones. Unisex cubicles work best when they also include sink and dryer.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Another point - why do loo designers so often put the hand dryers by the entrance/exit or other unsuitable place so one is making things inconvenient for others while standing there using the dyer.

Even worse - the hand dryers hidden behind the mirrors between the taps, thus seriously reducing the capacity of the wash basins while people are drying their hands.

 

[Mikey C]

Another point - why do loo designers so often put the hand dryers by the entrance/exit or other unsuitable place so one is making things inconvenient for others while standing there using the dyer.

The London Bridge gents have this issue. But then they are WAY too small anyway (requiring Network Rail to open a second set of toilets).

 

[Wolfie]

The London Bridge gents have this issue. But then they are WAY too small anyway (requiring Network Rail to open a second set of toilets).

Agreed and they did.... Many Southeastern trains not having toilets hardly helped.

 

[Recessio]

Put it this way, a former colleague of mine was offered £20 for a handjob at Charing Cross....

Quite tame compared to the toilets at City Thameslink... At least Class 700s have onboard toilets though, unlike a lot of Southeastern trains where you don't really have a choice but to use station facilities

 

[frankmoh]

Quite tame compared to the toilets at City Thameslink... At least Class 700s have onboard toilets though, unlike a lot of Southeastern trains where you don't really have a choice but to use station facilities

Waterloo East's toilets are grim, and then my train home ends up being a Networker and I have ended up enduring it for no reason.

IIRC the only the 710s are without toilets for trains that serve Euston, yes?

 

[Wolfie]

Quite tame compared to the toilets at City Thameslink... At least Class 700s have onboard toilets though, unlike a lot of Southeastern trains where you don't really have a choice but to use station facilities

Off topic but the toilets at Baker Street tube station were pretty notorious too. Obviously no alternative toilet facilities on the trains.

 

[Russel]

Quite tame compared to the toilets at City Thameslink... At least Class 700s have onboard toilets though, unlike a lot of Southeastern trains where you don't really have a choice but to use station facilities

The toilets at One New Change just down the road from City Thameslink are a well known hang out for a certain type of activity! Must be something to do with the area...

 

[Howardh]

When HS2 arrives I'm hoping that area will have much more salubrious facilities? Although the current toilets aren't the greatest, at least they are free which didn't use to be the case, therefore anyone can use them even if not using the trains - and avoid having to pay elsewhere? Could they be train ticket-holders only and scanned on entry and others have to pay?

Just outside the station there's the Doric Arch pub which is upstairs, and their toilets ate coded and downstairs, and downstairs again. For that reason I drink somewhere else where the conveniences are more convenient!

 

[Wolfie]

When HS2 arrives I'm hoping that area will have much more salubrious facilities? Although the current toilets aren't the greatest, at least they are free which didn't use to be the case, therefore anyone can use them even if not using the trains - and avoid having to pay elsewhere? Could they be train ticket-holders only and scanned on entry and others have to pay?

Just outside the station there's the Doric Arch pub which is upstairs, and their toilets ate coded and downstairs, and downstairs again. For that reason I drink somewhere else where the conveniences are more convenient!

Fuller's opening the Signal Box pub upstairs at Euston more or less killed the Doric Arch which now has very limited opening hours. I'm actually surprised that Fuller's haven't tried to offload the latter.

Incidentally the loos in the Signal Box are small but decent.

 

[Mikey C]

Fuller's opening the Signal Box pub upstairs at Euston more or less killed the Doric Arch which now has very limited opening hours. I'm actually surprised that Fuller's haven't tried to offload the latter.

Incidentally the loos in the Signal Box are small but decent.

I had a quick pint in the Doric Arch the other day, and while not full, it had a reasonable number of people in it. I used the toilets in the main station though!

The Euston Tap has a toilet upstairs, though it's quite small and up a spiral staircase.

 

[Howardh]

Fuller's opening the Signal Box pub upstairs at Euston more or less killed the Doric Arch which now has very limited opening hours. I'm actually surprised that Fuller's haven't tried to offload the latter.

Incidentally the loos in the Signal Box are small but decent.

Yes, and Signal Box has a toilet on the same floor and usually cleaner than the one on the station if I recall correctly. Also has train running times which is helpful!

 

[Wolfie]

Yes, and Signal Box has a toilet on the same floor and usually cleaner than the one on the station if I recall correctly. Also has train running times which is helpful!

Yup to all of that.