To say that It feels like there's no effort to reduce train stress.

[hockeysticks89]

I'm sitting at Euston, having missed my hourly train by seconds. When I approached it (running, which is not an attractive look for me) at its proper departure time a guy blew a whistle at me and said no. He saw me coming but gave the lock doors command as I approached.

Fair enough but I know from experience that they only put the station up on the board for my Crewe train around five minutes before it departs, at which point everyone literally charges like crazed animals. If you're slightly infirm you're screwed, it's a health and safety nightmare.

There are more platforms than there are trains. Guards know in advance which station it's going from.

AIBU to state that there appears to be no desire to reduce the stress of train travel in this situation? Grrrrr

I once tried to outwit the buggers and they used a platform I had never departed from before.

Happened to me too, and was the opposite fecking end so missed it.

Euston has 16 platforms as well

I can also confirm, Euston is absolutely shocking and the last minute platform announcements and ensuing stampede for trains is ridiculous. I and DH have written to complain many times but they just don't care.

Some people can't read. The OP is quite clear. This is not about her not getting there early enough to read the board.

I think you might have misread her post actually. She said she ‘knows from experience’ that the board only updates five minutes before departure, which to me suggests she arrived at the station later than that. I could be wrong, but it’s certainly not clear that she arrived with time to spare.

I've also missed trains that have left 30 seconds or so before their departure time.

I hate Euston for exactly this reason. There is not enough time between announcing the platform and doors being shut - and it's a big station.

Check out realtimetrains. It gives you advanced notice of what platforms the trains are leaving from.

I've had this too. The trains to my neck of the woods from Euston always go from one of 2 platforms but they are almost as far apart as you can get so you can't risk hanging around the one that you think it might be, as sod's law dictates it would be the other. The stampede one its announced is terrible.

Sorry, the first paragraph was a rant and a bit of a red herring. That was my bad, I arrived probably five seconds before the train was due to pull off and I felt that they could have been more helpful but I accept that it was my fault.

My AIBU was about the late notice of platforms and therefore the mad dash. It's chaotic and potentially dangerous. If avoidable, it's just not a nice way to treat people.

Thanks for your replies.

Ooh, will definitely check realtimetrains, that would be great if it's ok there

Was it to Holyhead? Those are either at the far left or the far right and 5 minutes would be generous. It is so stressful.

YANBU! Euston is definitely the worst for this, but the old platform 20 at Waterloo used to be like this as well. Platform 14 at Paddington still is bad, platform up with 5 mins to go, you leg it, get to the barrier at platform 12 and think you're there but it's miles away still. It's so horrible for people who are elderly, have kids, have mobility issues etc. Awful.

In fact, I wonder if there is a case to be made on age and disability discrimination for this practice of late posting of platforms and changing them around.

Eurgh I don't miss commuting to London, the platform changed every night for the train I got, and so you had tonnes of people crowded around the screen hedging their bets at which one it would be, before charging forward and pushing people out of the way. The sight of grown men and women rushing past people with crutches, in wheelchairs, people carrying babies etc was absolutely disgraceful, then the bottleneck at the ticket turnstile thing would be another level of savage. There had to be a better way to manage it.

I hate Euston for this. The concourse is always filled with a huge crowd of people all staring at the departure display. It makes the whole station seem crowded and stressful, and you daren't take your eyes off the board or nip and buy a bar of chocolate or a bottle of water, because if you don't see the platform indication as soon as it comes up, you risk missing your train.

I'm very grateful that my train line comes into St Pancras, which is entirely different. The occasions that I've had to use Euston have been 100x more stressful.

I have travelled from many different railway terminals and Euston is the worst!

It's kind of weird they have "Do not run" signs at Euston, because if everyone obeyed them, the trains would be empty!

I used to commute via Paddington and I don't know how someone hasn't been crushed or walked over the wild dash to the trains. It was crazy and sorry to hear its no better.

The best way to reduce train stress is to get there on time, especially if you know that you'll have to wait an hour for another one! Sorry OP but you know doors close X minutes before departure,

Difficult to do if they only announce the platform 3 to 5 minutes before the train departs.

On a long distance mainline train from Euston or Paddington, it sometimes takes me almost that long to walk down the platform to get into the correct carriage for my booked seat etc. and at Euston, there are usually hordes of people to navigate through.

The train journey I took yesterday I should be have been paid to travel, not the other way around. The actual train I was booked on was cancelled with no warning. So an hour to wait after a verrrry long day, and it’s a 3 and a half hour journey. And 2 trains’ worth of passengers squashed into a smaller than usual array of carriages. About half way through we were all turfed off with about 3 minutes to grab bags and change platforms via an underpass. The train was already pretty crowded when they poured us all in.

God help anyone not able bodied, or elderly, not good at English or just confused.

Train pain …

I'm sure there are regular announcements and signs that state boarding closes 2 minutes before departure time.

No one should board a train before the official announcements on the board. This is for security reasons, even if the train has been there for quite a while beforehand it needs to be cleaned and security checked on board before the next journey.

For those that require additional assistance and extra time to board. Passenger assistance can be booked and can be met by the station team and taken to the train to be boarded up to 20 minutes before departure.

Realtraintimes is useful but if the train company control change the train for a alternative one for any reason, RTT will not show this hence you could be sat waiting on the train and miss the actual one you wanted originally.

It can take up to 1 minute for the full door closing procedure to take place, timings are really tight and don't forget other passengers also have connections to make.

If it's not on the board it's being cleaned. BUT the information is out there before the info is on the board, it will be published on something like realtime trains, but of course it might change. If you approach a member of staff and explain your predicament (fast moving crowd) you can get assistance to board.

@Lockheart

The best way to reduce train stress is to get there on time, especially if you know that you'll have to wait an hour for another one! Sorry OP but you know doors close X minutes before departure, if they wait for you they'll have to wait for the person running behind you, and the one behind them, and the one behind them...

You've missed the point.

I feel for you OP, I had that last time I used the Crewe service!

Also, I notice that some trains depart a full minute early.

God, I hate having so much train experience!