Relocation of EMR Ticket Office at St Pancras

[Hadders]

The EMR ticket office at St Pancras has been relocated.

It is now located on the Grand Terrace near to Platforms 1-4, between WHSmith and Pret.

Sadly signage is inadequate, with the external signage merely stating ‘EMR’. Traditionalists looking for the ‘Booking Office’, thinking it’s returned to its former location which is confusingly signed as ‘Booking Office’ will be disappointed as it’s still a restaurant. Staff told me that new external signage is due to be installed shortly.

The new ticket office acts as a reception for assisted travel as well as a ticket office. First Class travellers looking for the lounge will be disappointed as it no longer exists.

 

[transportphoto]

I believe it’s just been the GTR ticket office in operation over the weekend - with the new EMR ticket office opening tomorrow morning. It’ll be interesting to see if the queues at the GTR office are impacted, and how long the regulars take to get used to the change.

 

[Haywain]

Well, that's a blooming nuisance! It's been convenient having two offices side-by-side so thst you could choose which one was going to provide the quickest service.

Having said that, I can understand why they would do this as it was a bit awkward for them having to direct people to the old location from the gateline.

 

[Hadders]

The new ticket office was open today when I asked staff what was going on.

I got the impression they hadn’t sold many tickets (if any). There’s nothing indicating it’s a ticket office, it looks more like a reception.

 

[Watershed]

The queues at the GTR ticket office were almost impeding the flow of passengers around the station, so clearly it is still a service that's in demand. I imagine a fairly large proportion of those wanting the ticket office will be tourists who have just arrived off the Eurostar and are unsure about their onward ticketing. They're not exactly going to go upstairs, are they...

 

[Haywain]

The queues at the GTR ticket office were almost impeding the flow of passengers around the station

When was this? The quicker service in the EMR office is generally because of more staff, where the GTR office often has just one window open, but never a long queue.

 

[Watershed]

When was this? The quicker service in the EMR office is generally because of more staff, where the GTR office often has just one window open, but never a long queue.

Friday, I went through St Pancras a couple of times and the queues were bad each time.

 

[Haywain]

Friday, I went through St Pancras a couple of times and the queues were bad each time.

That's very unusual.

 

[Meerkat]

Having no first class lounge seems pretty poor.

 

[Dr Hoo]

EMR closed First Class lounges at Sheffield, Derby and Leicester years ago.

 

[philjo]

Friday, I went through St Pancras a couple of times and the queues were bad each time.

I passed the GTR ticket office at St Pancras at 18:45 this evening. There were over 15 people in the queue. Previously I haven’t seen more than 3-4 queuing.

 

[43066]

EMR closed First Class lounges at Sheffield, Derby and Leicester years ago.

The St Pancras one was closed upon the onset of Covid. It was then made into an additional train crew mess room to assist with social distancing, and I believed never re-opened to the public.

The Derby one is open again, and has been for some time.

 

[WAB]

The Derby one is open again, and has been for some time.

Not as a First Class lounge, though...

 

[Meerkat]

EMR closed First Class lounges at Sheffield, Derby and Leicester years ago.

I’m surprised - for me the lounges are one of the major attractions of first class.

 

[MML]

The former EMR ticket office is being turned into a Gail's Bakery outlet.
The adjacent GTR ticket office now has noticeable queues as nobody seems to know about the new location upstairs on the Grand Terrace.
However in spite of the GTR ticket office having 4 windows it never has more than 2 open with the norm being one.
EMR gateline staff dealing with customer ticketing issues always had to direct customers downstairs to get the tickets changed. So at least the new location will be more convenient for those customers.
Customers unfamiliar with the station layout may not realise they need to go upstairs. Access to the Grand Terrace from downstairs is poor given the up escalators are positioned halfway down the train shed and serviceability of the escalators is woeful. 2 of the 4 are currently out of use.

 

[duffield]

...
Access to the Grand Terrace from downstairs is poor given the up escalators are positioned halfway down the train shed and serviceability of the escalators is woeful. 2 of the 4 are currently out of use.

One of the "up" escalators seems to have been out of order for years now. I really can't remember when it was last working. I know escalator repairs always seem to take a long time, but that particular one is beyond a joke. I think the last time I was there in addition to two of the escalators, the lift was also out of order.

 

[Trainman40083]

I’m surprised - for me the lounges are one of the major attractions of first class.

Maybe one of the reasons that first class travellers have diminished.

 

[Travelmonkey]

Slightly off topic but is the passenger assist lounge for all TOC assist customers or just the EMR ones, I know that the passenger assist lounge system has been rolled out at most NR managed stations,

 

[Haywain]

Slightly off topic but is the passenger assist lounge for all TOC assist customers or just the EMR ones, I know that the passenger assist lounge system has been rolled out at most NR managed stations,

I wouls imagine that it is just for EMR, as it is quite a long way from the Thameslink and Southeastern platforms

 

[Travelmonkey]

I know having been arriving on EMR and then off on HS1 it is a long way between the 2. St Pancras is a bit of a tardis you look at it outside/above it looks tiny but inside it's massive.

 

[Merle Haggard]

I know having been arriving on EMR and then off on HS1 it is a long way between the 2. St Pancras is a bit of a tardis you look at it outside/above it looks tiny but inside it's massive.

When trying to find out how to make that very change I foolishly looked at the 'station map' (Network Rail, I think - from NRES) on the web. It shows all the shops in detail but is very hazy about platform numbers or layout, no help for me at all - I don't go to a railway station to buy expensive stuff.

 

[Travelmonkey]

St Pancras is like Birmingham New Street in that regard. Shops are the crowing and passenger service and convenience is an inconvenience to them. At least with New Street you can use concourses B & C as a shortcut during a change.

 

[Hadders]

This change will result in a significant cost saving for EMR.

They will save the rent on the old ticket office
The new ticket office is combined with the Passenger Assist Reception - an opportunity to combine staffing and reduce the wage bill.
While it is possible to buy tickets there I suspect the majority of things it deals with will be assisting with people sent to them by the gateline.

 

[Backroom_boy]

No branding at all on the EMR ticket office, and a confusing name. Almost as though they didn't want passengers to find it?

 

[43066]

No branding at all on the EMR ticket office, and a confusing name. Almost as though they didn't want passengers to find it?

View attachment 168389

At a pinch, there may be issues with branding on the door/wall, given the listed status of the building. The entrances to the side rooms on the mezzanine level all look very uniform.

I’m not sure why there isn’t a sign outside, though!

 

[CyrusWuff]

At a pinch, there may be issues with branding on the door/wall, given the listed status of the building. The entrances to the side rooms on the mezzanine level all look very uniform.

I’m not sure why there isn’t a sign outside, though!

A permanent sign would need Listed Building Consent, but I would have thought they'd be able to use an A-frame or other temporary sign while they're waiting.

 

[Andy Pacer]

No branding at all on the EMR ticket office, and a confusing name. Almost as though they didn't want passengers to find it?

View attachment 168389

Yes, I'm a regular user of St Pancras but haven't noticed the new ticket office yet!

 

[Backroom_boy]

Yes, I'm a regular user of St Pancras but haven't noticed the new ticket office yet!

It's between Greg's and Pret on the upper level. Very easy to miss!

 

[Hadders]

As I mentioned in the opening post:

The unit signed 'Booking Office' is actually a restaurant - it's the former booking office pre-2000s rebuild
The new ticket office is signed 'EMR' and is a combined passenger assist and ticket office

When the ticket office moved there was an A4 sign saying ticket office, I don't know if it's still there.
It doesn't look like a ticket office at all and I doubt they sell many tickets.

 

[Andy Pacer]

It's between Greg's and Pret on the upper level. Very easy to miss!

Haha thanks! I walk past both most times so I will have to be more observant next time.