The “Euston rush” could be a thing of the past as early train boarding is being introduced at the busy station.
Train operators have begun to trial new early boarding to improve passengers' experiences.
It comes after the passenger watchdog warned “the station really struggles to cope, with high levels of overcrowding putting passengers in danger.”
London TravelWatch has called for a safety review at Euston as a matter of urgency after the station became so busy in September that passengers were locked out during rush hour in a desperate bid to limit the number of people waiting on the concourse.
Euston is the UK’s 10th busiest station, with more than 31 million entries or exits a year. Up to 40 trains an hour arrive or depart during peak periods.
But longstanding issues about the lack of platforms mean passengers are held on the concourse – and then face a stampede down the ramps as they battle to board their train on time.
Around 40 per cent of Avanti West Coast services at the station will now start boarding 20 minutes before departure, with the majority of services, roughly 55 per cent, expected to follow suit in the run-up to Christmas.
Passengers will also continue to be invited to wait on the platform if they are travelling on London Northwestern Railway’s Birmingham services as part of a “continuous boarding” scheme which was introduced on October 21.
Earlier this month, the giant overhead advertising boards at Euston were shut down as part of a major review into overcrowding at the station.
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh ordered Network Rail to declutter the station concourse at the start of October and make changes to the way it handles train announcements after growing concern about the risk of “dangerous” incidents.
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.”
Rail bosses have said that the customer experience at Euston have “fallen below the standards they should rightly expect” and they are monitoring the changes closely to make the process of boarding trains smoother.
Network Rail has said the future of the large advertising board at the station remains under review.
It is understood there are discussions for it to be potentially be used to show passenger information.
Other actions being explored at the station include making information desks more visible together in one place and expanding the concourse waiting space.
A full review of the station’s signage is also underway.
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.”
