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

@Joinedforthis2021

How do you stop passengers boarding whilst all that occurs?

They could just not open the doors. Alternatively, people could queue at the gate to the platform. Then when the train doors are opened they wouldn't have so far to walk and there wouldn't be loads of people rushing past and potentially knocking anyone who walks more slowly over.

Some of the platforms do not have barriers. People would wander freely onto the platform and board the train which will have the doors open.

The doors have to be open as mentioned above

When a train arrives, passengers get off, the preparations are done for the next journey, its announced on the board and passengers have up to 2 minutes to board before boarding closes and the train departs.

Does this only happen at rush hour? I definitely can't run or even walk really fast but I have never had an issue but I travel during the day.

@Joinedforthis2021

Some of the platforms do not have barriers. People would wander freely onto the platform and board the train which will have the doors open.

Then they should on have barriers.

Those that need additional time can either book passengers assistance or speak to a member of staff at the passenger assistance area near the booking hall and they will no doubt try and find out for you.

@Joinedforthis2021 do you work for Euston station by any chance? You seem overly invested in defending them.

I agree there should be barriers are every platform.

No I don't work at Euston Station.

Also I'm not defending them, I'm just stating the procedures.

@Joinedforthis2021

At what point do you call a halt?

First person run downs 15 seconds..
2nd person runs down a further 30 seconds..
Oh wait here is another one..another 15 seconds.

4th person..shouts your discriminated you've just let those one..why not me..

You use a bit of common sense. If you can hold the train for a few seconds to let someone on, you do it because it's a kindness that has no negative consequences. If you have to hold the train for a longer period that will cause it to run late, you don't.

Yes I fully agree about common sense, imagine being the person who has just been told no but seen 2 people board literally 30 seconds before you that's all I meant.

Repeating unhelpful policies whilst suggesting that it's the customers fault they are missing the trainsis rather defensive...

Wouldn't it be better, and more customer focused, if as much advanced warning of the departure platform could be given, as possible? Rather than putting up barriers (or not as the case maybe) to people being able to catch the trains they are paying for. Surely that makes more sense that train users having to use a third party app, or stampede through the station.

[quote lockedinandout]@Joinedforthis2021 do you work for Euston station by any chance? You seem overly invested in defending them.[/quote]
I was wondering this too. Feel almost like the very soul of Euston is speaking to us!

If other stations can do it, there really is no excuse. I travel between Manchester Piccadilly and Euston fairly frequently; the concourse screen gazing and sprint only happens at one end.

Like the OP then?

Euston is bloody awful for this I agree. There are railway stations all over the world where people manage to clean trains and also give more than two minutes' notice as to where a train is. At st pancras just down the road, for one. Maybe they could run courses for Euston staff?

@Joinedforthis2021

Those that need additional time can either book passengers assistance or speak to a member of staff at the passenger assistance area near the booking hall and they will no doubt try and find out for you.

I don't need assistance to get to the platform. I just need to know what the platform is more than more than 2 minutes before the train leaves. People with reduced mobility shouldn't have to to arrive at the station hours before able-bodied people to book passenger assistance just because Euston can't organise themselves to give details of the platform in good time.

They are trying to reduce train stress, especially so in the case of OP and the western line with HS2, funnily enough there is a lot of resistance to that.

Euston is a major hub, of course it makes sense that a train can come in at station 5 or 12, you wanting easing of stress on an outward journey would have even more of an impact due to the snowball effect.

Soul of Euston that's made me laugh I may change my username to that.

I promise I don't work at Euston, I travel in and out of Euston A LOT and just from knowledge and observations.

I used to travel a lot with heavy luggage (work kit) on wheels and sometimes missed trains due to physically not being able to lug it quickly enough up stairs, as a fit 20 something. It was horrendous and stressful. And was definitely getting worse.

What happens in situations where people don't have flexible tickets? My situation was rubbish but work always paid for flexible tickets (rebooking would have been more expensive etc) but I wouldn't buy a more expensive flexible ticket personally..?

At no point have I suggested it was the OP fault. I have just be trying to explain the reasoning behind some of the obsticles faced that's all.

I once had a platform be announced three minutes before the train was due to leave. That was at Paddington. At Euston my regular train was moved to a different platform, no announcement and a member of staff stood and watched a couple of dozen people miss it.

@katicomps

I use Euston often and I get what OP means.

There's a big departure hall with the boards up for each train and they only put up what platform it's leaving from at the last minute.
People literally take off running as soon as it appears. I'm fit enough but it's still a stressful few minutes if you're yanking a case along with you, then you get to the train and you don't know wether to get on at the first door and battle all the way down the aisle or walk on the platform and risk getting left behind.
The train will leave within minutes so yeah, if you're a teensy bit late or disabled…

Euston's awful, but most London termini are poor too. Many disabled people avoid Euston for a very different reason - it's notorious for leaving wheelchair users stuck onboard.

If you use the "staff view" function on this site you can see what the staff see.
tiger.worldline.global/home

@Joinedforthis2021

"train will have been ready on the platform for ages before it goes on the board"

It has to be cleaned, restocked, train crew boarded and security checks done, only then can it go on the board and board begin.

But this is true of every train station - or at least every major hub/end of line - so why is so noticeably, clearly worse at Euston than at any other station I've ever been to? All the other major London stations manage it much better - you might have the odd last minute platform change and so a mad dash, but it's the exception not the absolute rule like at Euston.

And maybe so they can switch platforms last minute without people having to go up and down.

The OP's train arrived twenty minutes before departure, so they knew for certain at least that much in advance. I get that they want to allow the cleaners a chance to go through uninterrupted but there is surely a compromise that allows for a comfortable walk to the platform from the concourse.