London Euston status

[Philip]

How is Euston is any shape or form nicer than Kings Cross. Kings Cross is now one of the nicest places in London and dare I'd say the country and is a far bigger destination than Euston.

Euston is one of the only not so pleasant areas left in central London.

It is next to Camden which is considered one of the nicer areas.

 

[Bald Rick]

It is next to Camden which is considered one of the nicer areas.

There’s Camden and Camden. The bit near Euston is, well, the lesser of the two.

In the last 15 years the area around Kings Cross has been improved considerably. The area around Euston hasn’t. And much of the dubious, ahem, ‘trade’ that’s took place in and around Kings Cross has just shifted half a mile west.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

More to the point, why are such distinctions even being made? The stations are a few hundred yards apart at the most, it's hardly going to be a huge difference between the two. Even if there was, it wouldn't really matter all that much when they're so close together.
Unless you live in Edinburgh or Glasgow (or at a push, Halifax or Huddersfield) you'll use the station that the mainline serves. Certain cross-London tube connections are more awkward from KX (such as reaching Waterloo- which is why I'd sometimes use the Vic to Vauxhall instead) but not so awkward that I'd use the WCML instead to avoid it.

 

[Mikey C]

How is Euston is any shape or form nicer than Kings Cross. Kings Cross is now one of the nicest places in London and dare I'd say the country and is a far bigger destination than Euston.

Euston is one of the only not so pleasant areas left in central London.

Cross the road from Euston, and you're in Bloomsbury's Georgian terraces, and University College London
Cross the road from Kings Cross, and there's scruffy shops and cheap hotels, then the Gray's Inn Road

 

[plugwash]

I don’t think it’s any better or worse for connections than Kings Cross (or St Pancras).

Overall I think the kings cross St pancras complex has far better connections than the Euston complex.

Thameslink and HS1 mean a bunch of destinations on the other side of london can be reached without using the underground. If you do have to use the undergound Kings Cross/St pancras has an integrated and accessible (though admittedly annoyingly large) station, while Euston has seperate stions for the subsurface and tube lines, neither of which has full step free access to the platforms.

Kings cross/St pancras has better connections to London's airports with direct services to Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton airport parkway (City.Stanstead and southend require one change from Either Euston or Kings cross St pancras).

The one place I see that Kings cross/St pancras does fall down compared to Euston. is the lack of a direct service to Waterloo.

 

[Philip]

Is Waterloo as important a station to keep changes to a minimum as it was 15 or more years ago, now that the Eurostars run from St Pancras?

Which is easier for Paddington out of Kings Cross or Euston?

There’s Camden and Camden. The bit near Euston is, well, the lesser of the two.

In the last 15 years the area around Kings Cross has been improved considerably. The area around Euston hasn’t. And much of the dubious, ahem, ‘trade’ that’s took place in and around Kings Cross has just shifted half a mile west.

The way people are going in this thread you'd think Euston is no better an environment than that which surrounds Manchester Picc, like Piccadilly Gardens. It might not be as swanky as Kings Cross, but it looks tidy enough; nice big green space between the bus station and Euston Road.

 

[plugwash]

Is Waterloo as important a station to keep changes to a minimum as it was 15 or more years ago, now that the Eurostars run from St Pancras?

It's still the terminus station for a fair chunk of the south coast.

Though the lack of a direct service between kings cross and waterloo is mitigated for long distance journeys by the availaibility of crosscountry trains and for more local jouneys by the availability of thameslink. It's a shame the rail planners don't understand that some "tube" fixed links require a change between two tube lines causing them to produce iteneries that involve unnecessary changes.

Which is easier for Paddington out of Kings Cross or Euston?

For paddington from Either Kings cross or Euston you would use the subsurface underground lines.

At Kings cross/St pancras the subsurface station is an integrated part of the station complex, the walk is annoyingly long but at least it's undercover and on smooth floors with lifts available if you need them (though the paddington end still appears to be limited step free access wise).

At Euston you have to leave the main station and find your way to the seperate "Euston Square" station that serves the subsurface lines. Actually finding the location of said entrances from online information seems to be non-trivial, I've no idea how easy/difficult it is when you are actually on the ground.

 

[Grumbler]

A travelator connection to link Euston with St Pancras and Kings Cross would help.

 

[Bald Rick]

A travelator connection to link Euston with St Pancras and Kings Cross would help.

It would, but it’s not at all easy to build. You either have to go very deep (which means it takes much longer than at street level), or demolish homes, some listed.

 

[Hadders]

There’s Camden and Camden. The bit near Euston is, well, the lesser of the two.

In the last 15 years the area around Kings Cross has been improved considerably. The area around Euston hasn’t. And much of the dubious, ahem, ‘trade’ that’s took place in and around Kings Cross has just shifted half a mile west.

I agree with this. The area around King's Cross has changed beyond all recognition over the last 15-20 years.

Which is easier for Paddington out of Kings Cross or Euston?

King's Cross. I use the H&C Line although the back-up is the Victoria Line to Oxford Circus then Bakerloo to Paddington. The walk to the sub-surface platforms at King's Cross is actually quite short, as long as you know where you're going and don't follow the signs!

Is Waterloo as important a station to keep changes to a minimum as it was 15 or more years ago, now that the Eurostars run from St Pancras?

Kings Cross to Waterloo is a cross-platform connection at Oxford Circus. Alternatively if you train from Waterloo calls at Vauxhall it is worth taking the Victoria Line direct from King's Cross to Vauxhall.

 

[Bald Rick]

Is Waterloo as important a station to keep changes to a minimum as it was 15 or more years ago, now that the Eurostars run from St Pancras?

Which is easier for Paddington out of Kings Cross or Euston?



The way people are going in this thread you'd think Euston is no better an environment than that which surrounds Manchester Picc, like Piccadilly Gardens. It might not be as swanky as Kings Cross, but it looks tidy enough; nice big green space between the bus station and Euston Road.

Have a walk around the area to the north East of the station, and up to Camden. Granted it’s not that bad, but neither is it Bloomsbury.

 

[Grumbler]

It would, but it’s not at all easy to build. You either have to go very deep (which means it takes much longer than at street level), or demolish homes, some listed.

It's a shame they didn't relocate Euston closer to St Pancras instead of building the British Library there.

 

[adamedwards]

Anyone planning any link from Euston to St Pancras needs to allow for the 7 basement floors under the British Library. The Victoria Line is at level -5 and goes through the middle of it. Crossrail 2 will provide a link eventually.

 

[Bald Rick]

Anyone planning any link from Euston to St Pancras needs to allow for the 7 basement floors under the British Library. The Victoria Line is at level -5 and goes through the middle of it. Crossrail 2 will provide a link eventually.

Similar number under the Francis Crick institute.

There’s a corridor allowed for CR2 - it’s wide enough (just). But deep.

 

[plugwash]

King's Cross. I use the H&C Line although the back-up is the Victoria Line to Oxford Circus then Bakerloo to Paddington. The walk to the sub-surface platforms at King's Cross is actually quite short, as long as you know where you're going and don't follow the signs!

Is there a map/instructions available which indicates how to get to the subsurface platforms without following the signs?

 

[37424]

Last time I visited Euston a couple of years ago having generally being used to KX I thought OMG I've gone back to the 1970's its was just like when I came to Euston as a teenager I couldn't believe it. It needs a massive update well unless you like 60/70's architecture and styling which presumably it will get with HS2 and it certainly needs it.

If you could easily terminate HS2 at a any of the Terminus Euston wouldn't be my 1st choice, only Marylebone would be worse.

 

[Bald Rick]

It needs a massive update well unless you like 60/70's architecture and styling which presumably it will get with HS2 and it certainly needs it.

HS2 doesn’t really come into the existing station much. There’s a separate project to rebuild the existing station, but that’s a way off.

 

[37424]

HS2 doesn’t really come into the existing station much. There’s a separate project to rebuild the existing station, but that’s a way off.

Oh right looks like we will enjoying the 60's styling for some time then

 

[Hadders]

Is there a map/instructions available which indicates how to get to the subsurface platforms without following the signs?

Simplest way for someone unfamiliar with the layout is to exit Kings Cross station through the doors behind the buffer stops which leads into Kings Cross Square, turn immediately right and use the steps ahead of you into the Underground station. At the bottom of the steps turn left (ignoring the signs).

 

[Philip]

Last time I visited Euston a couple of years ago having generally being used to KX I thought OMG I've gone back to the 1970's its was just like when I came to Euston as a teenager I couldn't believe it. It needs a massive update well unless you like 60/70's architecture and styling which presumably it will get with HS2 and it certainly needs it.

If you could easily terminate HS2 at a any of the Terminus Euston wouldn't be my 1st choice, only Marylebone would be worse.

The concourse is at least very spacious and practical. It is not difficult to find your way around at Euston, the opposite is the case at Kings Cross and St Pancras! And it has the Doric Arch as a bonus!

 

[Mikey C]

Is Waterloo as important a station to keep changes to a minimum as it was 15 or more years ago, now that the Eurostars run from St Pancras?

Which is easier for Paddington out of Kings Cross or Euston?



The way people are going in this thread you'd think Euston is no better an environment than that which surrounds Manchester Picc, like Piccadilly Gardens. It might not be as swanky as Kings Cross, but it looks tidy enough; nice big green space between the bus station and Euston Road.

And hardly anybody other than locals will be heading in the Mornington Crescent direction anyway, which is why I highlighted how nice it is if you're heading into the centre of London from Euston on foot through Bloomsbury.

Similarly the vast majority of visitors to Manchester leaving the station of foot will be heading towards Piccadilly Gardens or Chinatown/Gay Village, rather than the other way towards the urban Motorway or Mayfield