Worst London station in rush hour

[bluespaul]

My vote is for Euston

 

[Bletchleyite]

My vote is for Euston

I've not used any of the South London ones which are probably as bad, but the "Euston scrum" is horrid.

 

[C J Snarzell]

I used Euston when I worked in Central London in 2006/07 to get back up North. The place was chaos and I remember going down to the concourse and feeling a little claustrophobic by the fact it was so crowded. I also recall the staff at Euston were very dismissive and wouldn't give you the time of day. Maybe they are now working at Blackpool North?

CJ

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

Waterloo? The busiest station in uk pre-covid

 

[306024]

Victoria would get my vote in normal times, many different conflicting passenger flows and the tube interchange is congested.

 

[Turtle]

Victoria would get my vote in normal times, many different conflicting passenger flows and the tube interchange is congested.

I second that having experienced it for 28 years!

 

[SlideintomyTMs]

Euston is my vote, especially during disruption

Haven’t used Waterloo or Victoria during rush hour though so can’t judge them

 

[DustyBin]

Away from the main termini, it’s comical trying to get out of Peckham Rye when two or three packed trains arrive simultaneously.

 

[camflyer]

Another vote for Victoria. Despite being a regular user for many years I have never got to grips with it. The high number of exits and illogical layout makes it a confusing station - many of the problems are caused by tourists wandering around not knowing where they are going. Waterloo and Euston may be busy but I find them easier to navigate.

 

[nlogax]

What's the definition of 'worst' here? Ability to navigate? Time from concourse to train? Bottlenecks?

In my experience I don't think it's the terminuses - there's always space even at the worst of times. Mainline suburban stations on the other hand get ridiculously and dangerously crowded at both ends of the day. Well, they used to.

 

[Horizon22]

Cannon Street can get a bit dicey as there are a lot of City workers who can be some of the worst characters if there's even a tiny delay. Victoria isn't fantastic but better now the new entrance on Cardinal Place has opened for the tube. Of course Vic being two stations bolted together over time doesn't help. I've heard many times of mooted improvements for passenger flow including demolishing the Spoons in the middle and relocating gatelines, but not yet come to fruition. Never experienced it but Fenchurch Street & Moorgate can't be much fun?

Euston I've never used at peak, but the boarding scrum is well known. An odd scenario considering many other terminals don't board immediately either, so I've wondered what's so unique besides the small concourse.

Besides terminals, Denmark Hill and Peckham Rye are absolute scrambles due to their size, and Clapham Junction I always find a horrid stampede.

 

[pdeaves]

Worst 'in rush hour' implies to me 'crowded'. I have no particular view on any given station, but would add that 'crowded' also means 'people using the railway', so worst could simultaneously mean best!

 

[Tophat69]

Between the queuing times, crowding and heat, I think it would be technically illegal to heard livestock through Bank in the summer.

From the commuter side of the fence, COVID and lockdown has been the best thing that could have happened.

 

[Bald Rick]

Having used all of them, definitely Victoria. The layout isn’t the best, with staggered platforms and barrier lines and the tube entrance isn’t great (albeit much better than it was). However the biggest issue is that there is a fairly substantial contra-peak flow which creates issues on the concourse. Add in the Gat Ex passengers with luggage and not being sure where they go, and it makes the flows across the whole concourse difficult.

Other than termini, for stations within zone 1/2, the old King’s Cross Thameslink was absolutely horrendous. I’d say Finsbury Park is pretty bad, Vauxhall and Stratford aren’t great either. Haven’t been to West Ham in in the peak for a while, that could be bad I guess.

 

[Railwaysceptic]

I believe Victoria is the station where access to the Underground is most frequently closed for short periods due to overcrowding.

 

[Robertj21a]

Also having used most of them it has to be Victoria for sheer volume, with Euston just plain annoying. Stratford is terrbly busy most of the time too.

 

[Horizon22]

I believe Victoria is the station where access to the Underground is most frequently closed for short periods due to overcrowding.

True, used to happen maybe 2/3 days in the morning. Now its obviously not an issue and it did happen less after the 2nd set of stairs reopened & the Cardinal Place entrance opened. Although they ended up making that one way anyway someone negating the issue. As @Bald Rick says the contra-flow presents problems as people are going in all sorts of directions. Croydon / Clapham / Bromley / Lewisham are all substantial destinations in their own right, all a max of 20 mins from Victoria.

 

[DustyBin]

Having used all of them, definitely Victoria. The layout isn’t the best, with staggered platforms and barrier lines and the tube entrance isn’t great (albeit much better than it was). However the biggest issue is that there is a fairly substantial contra-peak flow which creates issues on the concourse. Add in the Gat Ex passengers with luggage and not being sure where they go, and it makes the flows across the whole concourse difficult.

Other than termini, for stations within zone 1/2, the old King’s Cross Thameslink was absolutely horrendous. I’d say Finsbury Park is pretty bad, Vauxhall and Stratford aren’t great either. Haven’t been to West Ham in in the peak for a while, that could be bad I guess.

I remember the old Kings Cross Thameslink, you're right it was pretty awful! Stratford is another good shout that I've experienced personally.

Here's another nomination; Canada Water. The Overground platforms are a stampede during rush hour, my strategy is simply get on the first train that arrives and change later if needs be.

 

[Horizon22]

I remember the old Kings Cross Thameslink, you're right it was pretty awful! Stratford is another good shout that I've experienced personally.

Here's another nomination; Canada Water. The Overground platforms are a stampede during rush hour, my strategy is simply get on the first train that arrives and change later if needs be.

Oh god I forgot about Canada Water. One I actively try to avoid.

 

[Ianno87]

I believe Victoria is the station where access to the Underground is most frequently closed for short periods due to overcrowding.

Paddington must be a reasonably close second.

 

[bramling]

One which hasn’t been mentioned - Holborn.

The station layout just doesn’t work when crowded, as there’s conflicting flows which merge at the bottom of the upper escalators. Slightest delay and this area gets overwhelmed, which results in people coming to the end of a moving escalator with nowhere to go.

Not a nice station for those charged with running it either.

From a passenger point of view this all manifests itself in having to queue to enter, or having trains non-stop at zero notice as a crowd control measure - normally at the slightest hint of disruption on one of the lines, but even in a normal day sometimes.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Euston is dreadful, Cannon Street isn't pleasant if you want to depart during the morning peak. London Bridge is vastly improved since the rebuild was completed

 

[Peregrine 4903]

Finsbury Park is pretty awful in my experience. The cross platform Piccadilly to Victoria Line interchange is brilliant most of the time but in rush hour it becomes a nightmare, particularly when trying to get on the Victoria Line. The main problem is that I'd say about 75% of people using Finsbury Park in the morning rush hour want to use the Southbound Victoria Line. Combined with the fact that often up to half a piccadilly line train will empty at Finsbury Park with everyone also trying to transfer to the Victoria Line,, the Victoria Line platforms become absolutely unbearable and the queues frequently stretch out onto the Piccadilly Line platforms making the Piccadilly Line platforms extremely overcrowded as there is a still a significant amount of people getting on to the Piccadilly Line in the morning.

 

[bramling]

Finsbury Park is pretty awful in my experience. The cross platform Piccadilly to Victoria Line interchange is brilliant most of the time but in rush hour it becomes a nightmare, particularly when trying to get on the Victoria Line. The main problem is that I'd say about 75% of people using Finsbury Park in the morning rush hour want to use the Southbound Victoria Line. Combined with the fact that often up to half a piccadilly line train will empty at Finsbury Park with everyone also trying to transfer to the Victoria Line,, the Victoria Line platforms become absolutely unbearable and the queues frequently stretch out onto the Piccadilly Line platforms making the Piccadilly Line platforms extremely overcrowded as there is a still a significant amount of people getting on to the Piccadilly Line in the morning.

I’d certainly agree with Finsbury Park - awful place at the best of times, and outside is no better.

 

[ThisIsSurbiton]

Waterloo? The busiest station in uk pre-covid

I find (found!) Waterloo to be quite good, everyone knows where they are going, and platform alterations are unusual. My strategy, where possible, was to arrive in time for the train before (not difficult for Surbiton) and get a seat on the 'next'. Also, avoid the suburban platforms if at all possible.

 

[swt_passenger]

Waterloo? The busiest station in uk pre-covid

I think you’ll need to explain. Busiest doesn’t necessarily mean worst.

 

[urbophile]

Clapham Junction is pretty scary sometimes. Especially the curved platforms with a vast gap, vertically and horizontally, between train and platform.

 

[cactustwirly]

I've not used any of the South London ones which are probably as bad, but the "Euston scrum" is horrid.

The "Paddington scrum" is worse, especially if your train is leaving from platform 14

 

[CBlue]

Victoria's layout is a mess, with pre-rebuild Kings Cross coming a close second. There was always a horrible tidal wave across that tiny concourse whenever a train was announced as departing from Platforms 9-11.

Finsbury Park's layout is also a complete mess, especially as signs and screens in the tunnels under the platforms seem to be placed at random! Good luck finding an onward bus connection from there too as not everything stops in the bus station...

 

[Trackman]

My vote goes to Victoria too.
Euston is bearable, but if there is a slight hold up on a service or anything it becomes manic.