Euston Platforms 8-11

[SargeNpton]

News from Network Rail that it is to improve access to platforms 8-11 at Euston, which suffer terribly from overcrowding at times. Hopefully, this will be reversing the awful change made 20 or so years ago...

Multi-million-pound platform access improvements for Euston passengers (networkrailmediacentre.co.uk)

"Passenger access is being improved to four of London Euston station’s busiest platforms as part of a multi-million-pound improvement programme.

The current layout of the ramp to platforms 8-11 acts a bottleneck resulting in an uncomfortable experience for passengers.

The £11.7m investment will see the access widened allowing more space for passengers to move from the concourse to their train."

 

[Andrew1395]

It was more like 30 years ago that they built shops on the ramp to platforms 11-10, put in the NSE booking office and removed the office and newsagents structure to create the circulating area behind the stops. Even at the time we said it would create problems. But NSE and station trading were insistent. Thankfully now to reversed or at least partially reversed.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It was more like 30 years ago that they built shops on the ramp to platforms 11-10, put in the NSE booking office and removed the office and newsagents structure to create the circulating area behind the stops. Even at the time we said it would create problems. But NSE and station trading were insistent. Thankfully now to reversed or at least partially reversed.

Interesting - so was it originally the Tube in the middle and two equally sized "tunnels" to the platforms on either side?

Does anyone know what is actually being done? Will the (quite useful) Tube access be closed, perhaps?

 

[Lewlew]

Some hoardings have appeared at the top of the ramp. They seem to wrap from the side entrance to the front entrance of WH Smith so perhaps making Smith's a little bit smaller?

They could also remove those level bits of the ramp on the left (when going down) to have a bit more space. But then it still narrows to go past the tube entrance. Unless they are completely removing Smith's, Costa Coffee and M&S? Smith's and Marks already have other stores on the station and I'm sure Costa can move up to the balcony.

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New post:
So just got to Euston. It looks like Smith's, Costa and Marks are indeed closing. Smith's has works going on inside now. Costa is closed. Marks is virtually empty with the tills gone.

 

[Andrew1395]

Interesting - so was it originally the Tube in the middle and two equally sized "tunnels" to the platforms on either side?

Does anyone know what is actually being done? Will the (quite useful) Tube access be closed, perhaps?

That’s correct. With banks of left luggage lockers in the middle in front of the end wall to the London Underground subway.

The “level bits of the ramp” are the remains of the footings for the lockers to accommodate the slope of the ramp outside of the shop entrances (In blue in the above photographs).

Because of the rebuild they had to put in new fire mitigation’s, including smoke fans in the roof of the retained 9-8 ramp.

 

[gallafent]

Interesting indeed. Now if NR could get rid of the various retail outlets (sock shop, tie rack, accessorise, clinton cards, that sort of thing) that grew like burrs on the bases of the pillars in the main concourse during the 1980s, restoring to an extent its modernist cathedral ambience (and more to the point providing more space, sight lines to see where one is trying to get to / see the departure boards, etc.), that would be even better!

 

[Andrew1395]

Interesting indeed. Now if NR could get rid of the various retail outlets (sock shop, tie rack, accessorise, clinton cards, that sort of thing) that grew like burrs on the bases of the pillars in the main concourse during the 1980s, restoring to an extent its modernist cathedral ambience (and more to the point providing more space, sight lines to see where one is trying to get to / see the departure boards, etc.), that would be even better!

The greenhouse units in the middle of the concourse are long gone. The new balcony has broken up the cathedral ambience, and the MDF wood panelling that covers the terrazzo tile wall treatments has taken away the 1960s feel. they have patched the marble flooring very well, where they took out the Boots shop that had itself replaced the local ticket windows and old AIOC and Area Mangers office.

 

[gallafent]

The greenhouse units in the middle of the concourse are long gone. The new balcony has broken up the cathedral ambience, and the MDT wood panelling that covers the terrazzo tile wall treatments has taken away the 1960s feel. they have patched the marble flooring very well, where they took out the Boots shop that had itself replaced the local ticket windows and old AIOC and Area Mangers office.

Ah! Thanks for the info, goes to show how long it's been since I used Euston (where I used to live it was my usual arrival point in London, now that's Paddington or Marylebone instead!).

 

[Lewlew]

Just passed through Euston and the other side of the ramp has reopened (to the right of the tube entrance facing the concourse where the shops used to be). The old side has been blocked off for refurbishment.

Not entirely sure when it opened, it may have been last week.

Photo 1 - new ramp looking from concourse.
Photo 2 - old ramp closed off
Photo 3 - new ramp with concourse behind, facing the platforms
Photo 4 - bottom of old ramp, platforms behind, tube entrance just to the right
Photo 5 - bottom of new ramp, platforms behind, existing tube entrance to the left

 

[wildcard]

As mentioned a second ramp is now in operation to the right of the steps down to the Underground ( as seen from the gateline ). All retail outlets now gone from the area . On Saturday the Underground entrance was gated ( Euston TfL closed due to a medical incident ) and the old ramp barriered so all access/exit was via the new ramp. I assume a one way system will eventually be in place. However this doesn't address capacity through the gateline - which is sorely tested if 2 LNR/LO trains arrive in a short space of time - which I guess is why its often left open.

 

[Lewlew]

Seems like work has now finished. Both sides are now open with the bit in the middle used for a couple of benches.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Seems like work has now finished. Both sides are now open with the bit in the middle used for a couple of benches.

Not sure those benches are beneficial unless they intend to change it round to "up only" and "down only" sides.

 

[swt_passenger]

Not sure those benches are beneficial unless they intend to change it round to "up only" and "down only" sides.

I see they’ve added a yellow end to the one that’s visible, so presumably someone’s already decided it’s a hazard…

 

[Lewlew]

I see they’ve added a yellow end to the one that’s visible, so presumably someone’s already decided it’s a hazard…

All the corners of the wall panels have hazard tape on them, implying that they may be a deemed as sharp

 

[Bletchleyite]

All the corners of the wall panels have hazard tape on them, implying that they may be a deemed as sharp

Doesn't look like hazard tape to me. Looks like masking or similar.

 

[Kite159]

The new ramp is one thing to help with the bottleneck of the Euston rush when the XX:YY train gets announced as boarding a couple minutes before it's due to depart due to a late inbound service. But in my eyes unless they improve the gateline the bottleneck will just shift from the corridor from the main concourse to those gates.

Especially if a train is announced as boarding when a couple trains arrive so the gateline is split half & half (and in most cases will probably get thrown open to clear the jam)

 

[Peter Sarf]

I vaguely remember the ramp looking open like that when I was a kid (1970s). I more remember noticing the shops build up in the ramp area though. I think the only newsagent on the concourse near there was "Journeys Friend" sort of orange colours - it always seemed to be there and was where I was usually supplied with sweets. I recently noticed it seemed to have been absorbed by the newer WH Smith next door which must have now gone.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The new ramp is one thing to help with the bottleneck of the Euston rush when the XX:YY train gets announced as boarding a couple minutes before it's due to depart due to a late inbound service. But in my eyes unless they improve the gateline the bottleneck will just shift from the corridor from the main concourse to those gates.

Especially if a train is announced as boarding when a couple trains arrive so the gateline is split half & half (and in most cases will probably get thrown open to clear the jam)

The fix for that is to stop suppressing platforms for 8-11 like they used to. Unlike other platforms 8-11 are designed for people to wait there.

 

[Andrew1395]

Gosh I remember when 8-9 and 10-11 were operated with slam door stock. To get the trains away safely they used to slam the gates shut - they had to do both sides because people would try to go through the open gate and run behind the John Menzies and stops to open the doors of a moving train and jump on.

 

[js1000]

The new ramp is one thing to help with the bottleneck of the Euston rush when the XX:YY train gets announced as boarding a couple minutes before it's due to depart due to a late inbound service. But in my eyes unless they improve the gateline the bottleneck will just shift from the corridor from the main concourse to those gates.

Especially if a train is announced as boarding when a couple trains arrive so the gateline is split half & half (and in most cases will probably get thrown open to clear the jam)

I've always found the "Euston rush" to be quite comical. Not least if you check RTT you can normally figure out which platform most services will be departing from if you check arrival platforms.

 

[infobleep]

I've always found the "Euston rush" to be quite comical. Not least if you check RTT you can normally figure out which platform most services will be departing from if you check arrival platforms.

Not always so if they switch platforms at the last minute. I'm not sure when Real Time Trains came and I last regularly travelled that way in 2013.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not always so if they switch platforms at the last minute. I'm not sure when Real Time Trains came and I last regularly travelled that way in 2013.

You do need to check the arrivals display and keep an eye on RTT until the platform goes bold, but most of the time it works.

 

[Kite159]

I've always found the "Euston rush" to be quite comical. Not least if you check RTT you can normally figure out which platform most services will be departing from if you check arrival platforms.

Until the inbound is running late and ends up getting swapped from the booked platform.

RTT is useful to avoid the rush, especially at times of delays.

 

[Trackman]

Gosh I remember when 8-9 and 10-11 were operated with slam door stock. To get the trains away safely they used to slam the gates shut - they had to do both sides because people would try to go through the open gate and run behind the John Menzies and stops to open the doors of a moving train and jump on.

When they were doing the work they uncovered NSE boards for the platforms.

You do need to check the arrivals display and keep an eye on RTT until the platform goes bold, but most of the time it works.

This is imperative!
A booked platform doesn't mean it which actually depart from there.
As @Bletchleyite says... wait for the bold .. it will be either black /red... red for a platform change IIRC..

 

[Bletchleyite]

That I can recall at Euston the only time I have known it wrong when it has gone bold was a very last minute unit swap.

By contrast at Victoria it seems to be all over the place.

 

[Horizon22]

When they were doing the work they uncovered NSE boards for the platforms.

This is imperative!
A booked platform doesn't mean it which actually depart from there.
As @Bletchleyite says... wait for the bold .. it will be either black /red... red for a platform change IIRC..

This. Its frustrating to have to deal with people who say "but my app said this!" when it was never on that platform and swaps can happen all the time or signallers decide another platform is more suitable in the event of late running. Most apps only do 'predicted' platforms as I'm sure many know.

 

[185]

If they must retain that pillar at the top in the centre (behind the TVM) the back of it would be a great place for a small retail point (eg a small AMT takeaway coffee truck) which if facing down the ramp wont interfere with the new, wide flow of people.