There was some disruption this afternoon but I wouldn't say it was severe. Just late departures from what I could see. Nothing showing as cancelled while I was there.
You could look that up but it really isn't the issue. People will rightly rely on the departure boards and if they see there's less than five minutes to go until the train is advertised as departing there is going to be a herd mentality and people are going to stampede down the ramps.
While the Euston scrum has been a thing for years now and won't ever change, it's also been talked about to death on these forums over the years. It's obvious Network Rail needs to copy what they do at other stations like Liverpool St and announce platforms 20 mins before. I think though Avanti don't always have the staff to man every platform and they don't want people getting onto the trains without a ticket inspection (especially as I have taken many Avanti services without my ticket ever being inspected on board either).
This doesn't explain why they don't announce LNR services in platforms 8-11 until a few minutes to go, when the stock has been sitting in the platform for ten or more minutes.
I would be inclined to agree, except for the last two words
As I've mentioned before, this is a procedural issue. Platforms are advertised once dispatched staff are on the platform and inform station control to release the platform for passengers.
When I used to commute via Euston on the suburban services, they just used to leave them unlocked between services, with the boards showing immediately the next departure. No staff were on the trains or the platforms. Obviously that changed at some point since but I wonder what made that practice be considered inappropriate?
They don't close off the platform strictly no. There would be fights, possibly riots, if they tried to announce a platform 1 minute before departure then blocked people getting to the train. In any case it would be very dangerous, whether from a staff safety, passengers ending up on the tracks, or if the barriers are closed some Hillsborough-style disaster.
Never experienced this with Avanti myself.
I don't believe Avanti or any other operator routinely do this.
In my experience Avanti ticket checks are much less common than other TOCs. On the other hand a lot more of their major stations are gatelined than perhaps other TOCs are. I don't think I've ever been asked for my railcard on an Avanti service, although that's not something that's unique to them (hello LNER!)
I've had my ticket and railcard checked on every Avanti service I've been on. This is a bit misleading though as I've only used Avanti once!
Sorry, just to understand your email, and choosing the above as one example.
The train was first shown as departing from Platform 1 at 16:05. It said Expected 16:10.
The aim is to try and ensure that an already delayed train is loaded as promptly as possible once it is known that staff are on board, etc.
Concur that it departed at 1613, so seven minutes after its booked 1606 departure time. Got progressively later as it made its way North, arriving into Liverpool Lime Street with a forty-one minute delay. Just one of many such delayed journeys, it seems.
