Network Rail aims to tackle ‘Euston rush’

Network Rail has pledged to reduce instances of passengers rushing to platforms at Euston station by permitting earlier boarding of some services.

The Government-owned company said it has started allowing passengers travelling on around 40% of Avanti West Coast services from the London station to board trains 20 minutes before departure.

This will be increased to around 55% in the run-up to Christmas.

Passengers travelling on London Northwestern Railway’s services to Birmingham have been invited on to platforms to await their train as soon as the preceding service has departed since so-called continuous boarding was launched last week.

The changes come after Transport Secretary Louise Haigh ordered Network Rail to review and improve how it manages the station.

Earlier this month, watchdog London TravelWatch warned that passengers at Euston are being put “in danger” by “high levels of overcrowding”.

It said “last-minute announcements” mean passengers “rush to platforms”.

Gary Walsh, director for Network Rail’s West Coast south route, said: “Getting passengers to their services in good time is at the heart of our improvements at Euston, and today’s changes will tackle that issue head-on.

“Taking quick and effective action is at the core of our five-point plan, which I’m pleased to say is starting to deliver for our passengers at London Euston station.”

The plan includes other measures such as turning off a large advertising screen while its usage is reviewed, creating more concourse space, upgrading toilets, and enhancing how the station operates during disruption.

Ms Haigh said: “I am pleased to see immediate improvements being made at Euston station to reduce the risk of overcrowding, drive up standards and deliver a better experience for passengers.

“For too long, Euston station simply has not been good enough.

“That’s why I have tasked Network Rail and operators with delivering a clear plan to alleviate some of the issues passengers are facing while we work on a long-term solution for the station.”

Plans to redevelop Euston include the creation of a larger concourse, but these are subject to Network Rail securing more Government funding.

Major work to prepare a site alongside the station for HS2 was halted by the Conservative government in March last year.

Labour ministers have yet to announce whether the high-speed railway will be extended to Euston or will only run to and from Old Oak Common in the west London suburbs.

Avanti West Coast interim customer experience director Cheryl Fox said: “We know the travelling experience for our customers at Euston has fallen below the standards they should rightly expect.

“This is why we welcome any steps to make improvements.

“We will continue to work alongside Network Rail as well as our partners on this trial and other measures, with the aim of making journeys at the station more comfortable for those travelling on the West Coast Main Line.”

London Northwestern Railway customer experience director Jonny Wiseman said: “We are pleased to be working together with Network Rail and other train operators to improve the travelling experience for our customers at Euston.

“We’ll be monitoring the impact of these changes closely as we continue working with partners to make the process of boarding trains smoother across the station.”