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Boarding arrangements at Euston

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6Gman

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Sorry if this has been raised previously, but .....

Why are the platforms for Euston departures only announced 10-15 minutes (or less) before departure times?

It results in a mass rush from concourse to platform, with all sorts of potential for accidents. It also puts older/ infirm passengers at a huge disadvantage when seeking seats.

I know platforms sometimes have to be changed at a late stage - but surely not in the last 20 minutes - and stock has to be cleaned between arrival and departure, but why not let passengers queue on the ramps down to the platforms [which I'm sure used to happen in BR days].

Finally, is this something I should raise with VT or NR?
 
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Dave A

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Go to Paddington where it's barely 5 minutes sometimes in the peak...
 

317666

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Try FCC's Cambridge services from Kings Cross, often it's only announced one or two minutes in advance, or altered at similarly short notice! By all means if you think it's worth trying to change it then write a letter to VT or NR.
 

MCR247

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Beware though the turnaround times since VHF are quite short. I believe EBW 390s have a 25 minute turnaround. For example my 1114 arriving formed an 1140 departure so you can't announce the platforms much sooner
 

David Goddard

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The problems at these termini seem to result in a combination of short turnarounds and late running of incoming services.
It's OK with suburban services that come in and then go back out with the minimum of fuss, but with long distance trains there is more to do.

Long distance services at main termini are not normally listed until the stock is ready for boarding. On termination of the previous service, all manner of operations have to take place before it can be ready for the outgoing service. Some examples are:
Arriving passengers and luggage have to de-train
Litter sweep
Refill lavatory tanks
Re-stock buffet/ catering facilities
Put out reservation cards
Only after most of these operations have been performed will the train manager advise the signalling/Passenger Information operators that the train is ready for its next train.
If the turnaround time is already tight, and the train arrives late, then the lead time between publishing of the platform and departure time will naturally have to decrease.
 

Flying Snail

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Sorry if this has been raised previously, but .....

Why are the platforms for Euston departures only announced 10-15 minutes (or less) before departure times?

It results in a mass rush from concourse to platform, with all sorts of potential for accidents. It also puts older/ infirm passengers at a huge disadvantage when seeking seats.

I know platforms sometimes have to be changed at a late stage - but surely not in the last 20 minutes - and stock has to be cleaned between arrival and departure, but why not let passengers queue on the ramps down to the platforms [which I'm sure used to happen in BR days].

Finally, is this something I should raise with VT or NR?

So you think people rushing down the ramps as opposed to the concourse would be safer? I am not so sure. It would also require more staff dedicated to manning the ramp doors. In many cases it would not be possible to prevent people accessing platforms for trains not arrived or not ready if there are live services arriving or departing on neighbouring platforms. It would make the cleaners jobs more difficult as they would have to keep the doors locked or be constantly shooing away passengers.

The Caledonian Sleeper is a good example, all the regular passengers know what platform it uses and hover around it long before it is ready or announced, must be a nuissance to the staff preparing the train although in that case they don't help the situation by often not boarding at the published times.
 

island

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If they announce the platform before the train is ready for boarding it might work for one or two platforms in a group of four, but if there are people queueing on the ramps for platforms 5 and 6 then nobody will be able to access platform 7.
 

calc7

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Also allows for good operational flexibility: passengers who have already started to board a train will be unimpressed and hassled if their set is suddenly swapped to run a different service!
 

capewellavc

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I'm a commuter to MKC through Euston, usually using Virgin's. They rarely change platforms too much, so I usually que at the right platform. They nearly always have ticket inspectors and huge gates stopping you going into the train early. They have four lanes to que in, so even if 4 trains leave at once, there are four areas to que. the rush through the concourse is amusing but very dangerous. I've seen a child trampled at euston before... (that wasn't amusing)
 

MidnightFlyer

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They have four lanes to que in, so even if 4 trains leave at once, there are four areas to que...

But only two (relatively narrow thinking about it) doors to access the actual platforms through. With the nature of Euston, it is actually not that common to have adjacent platforms (like 12 / 13) boarding together.
 

Eagle

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Also allows for good operational flexibility: passengers who have already started to board a train will be unimpressed and hassled if their set is suddenly swapped to run a different service!

This certainly wouldn't apply when I'm at Waterloo waiting for a Salisbury service's platform to be announced (despite the fact that it's the only diesel unit in the station and I can hear where it is, let alone see it).
 

OxtedL

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This certainly wouldn't apply when I'm at Waterloo waiting for a Salisbury service's platform to be announced (despite the fact that it's the only diesel unit in the station and I can hear where it is, let alone see it).

I know that feeling from somewhere.
 

Rick1984

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Kilmarnock trains from glasgow always announced really late. Don't know if this has changed with introduction of dreaded ticket barriers.
 

dggar

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On the National Rail site journey planner the booked platform is given.
How often does the the booked platform differ from the actual platform.
 

D6975

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Euston, curiously only gives arrival platforms, not departure platforms.
 

a22book

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Perhaps if virgin's reservation system worked more often people wouldn't feel the need to rush knowing that there seat will be reserved.
 

phil281

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Never understand people like you, why there is always such a flap and panic about being at the platform ages before hand, 15 minutes is plenty to board a train.

They are held back because there are so many platform alterations due to set swaps, delays etc and also to allow trains to undergo maintainance, cleaning and loading of stores. If you'd like to get on a dirty train, with no catering, that doesn't work and then it may be replatformed at the last minute so you miss it then please complain.
 

starrymarkb

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Perhaps if virgin's reservation system worked more often people wouldn't feel the need to rush knowing that there seat will be reserved.

I doubt it would make much difference. I was recently watching a load of people queuing at the unstaffed (and locked) gate for a KLM Flight at Schiphol for about 20 minutes before the staff member arrived. She only opened the gate and started letting people through when the airside bus out to the Fokker Farm pulled up. And then it was a scrum to board the bus.

I have no idea why they were queuing and rushing given that A) they were boarding a bus and B) all seats on the aircraft are allocated at check in.
 

317666

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Never understand people like you, why there is always such a flap and panic about being at the platform ages before hand, 15 minutes is plenty to board a train.

I agree 15 minutes is plenty of time, but as I mentioned earlier, Kings Cross is often as little as 5 minutes or sometimes less, which certainly isn't enough time!
 

lemonic

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Euston, curiously only gives arrival platforms, not departure platforms.

This is because people were finding out platform numbers on their phones etc. before they were officially announced and boarding the train early. Virgin didn't like this, so all the departure platforms were removed completely from NRE.
 
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This is because people were finding out platform numbers on their phones etc. before they were officially announced and boarding the train early. Virgin didn't like this, so all the departure platforms were removed completely from NRE.

Could be interesting if one of the incoming services is delayed and they get on the wrong train.

"Good afternoon passengers this is the 12:30 Virgin Trains service to Glasgow Central"... wait what? I ONLY WANT TO GO TO COVENTRY!
 

Geezertronic

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Could be interesting if one of the incoming services is delayed and they get on the wrong train.

"Good afternoon passengers this is the 12:30 Virgin Trains service to Glasgow Central"... wait what? I ONLY WANT TO GO TO COVENTRY!

Something similar happened to a guy on the first day the 0730 BHM-EUS non stopper ran. He only wanted to go to Coventry but got a trip down to London instead :D
 

sprinterguy

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Something similar happened to a guy on the first day the 0730 BHM-EUS non stopper ran. He only wanted to go to Coventry but got a trip down to London instead :D
It wasn’t just restricted to the first day: The train managers on the 07:30 are still absolutely insistent in their announcements every morning prior to departing from Birmingham that the train absolutely does not, repeat, does not stop at Birmingham International or Coventry. I’ve even seen one train crew member go so far as to stand on the platform by the train and question passengers entering by the doors nearest to themselves where they are travelling to. Yet there was still one fella bound for Coventry who boarded the 07:30 a couple of weeks ago who had to fork out for a new ticket when he discovered that his trip across the West Midlands would be via London! My observations make me inclined to think that he wasn’t an isolated example even in just the last few weeks.
 

calc7

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At least the equivalent MAN service (0700) stops to pick up at Stockport, thus giving genuine mistaken passengers chance to bail!
 

voyagerdude220

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Despite all of the PIS next to trains, the screens on the trains themselves and announcements both at the station and onboard by the tm or catering crew..
I've seen people wanting Lancaster dash onto the 18:30 Preston to Glasgow, which is non stop..
 

neilmc

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Interesting last night as there are departures to Manchester at 18.57 and 19.00, and the 19.00 showed its platform on the departure boards before the 18.57. In the event the 18.57 was flagged up with about five minutes to go and they got everybody on but I wonder how many had opted for the 19.00 on the grounds that the 18.57 might be delayed.

Not me, as the 18.57 is declassified and gives the opportunity of a first-class seat for a second-class fare, and the 19.00 is always packed. In the event the 18.57 had lots of spare seats.
 

Geezertronic

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Don't see what the problem is to be honest. Regular travellers know roughly where their trains depart from so generally hang around the location, others stay and watch the big boards.

Anyway, all hell would break loose if someone was run over by the mini-truck that restocks the 390 First Class and the shop :)
 

Trains06

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Its still quite easy to see the booked platform despite removal from NRE, alot of businessmen with smart phones use that now!
 
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