Passengers using London‘s Euston railway station are being put ‘in danger’ by ‘high levels of overcrowding’, a transport watchdog has warned.
In a recent statement, London TravelWatch said ‘last-minute announcements’ meant passengers were ‘rushing to platforms’, and staff were overwhelmed by the ‘sheer number of people.
It comes as the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) issued Network Rail with previously issued the Government-owned company with an improvement notice, accusing them of failing to prevent risks from from ‘unacceptable overcrowding’.
Although Network Rail was found to have ‘complied’ with the notice by managing ‘traffic flows with overcrowding’ on December 15 , concerns about the station have continued to be raised.
London TravelWatch said: ‘Even on good days, the passenger experience at London Euston fails to match its importance as the capital’s main rail gateway to four of the UK’s largest cities.
Passengers using London ‘s Euston railway station are being put ‘in danger’ by ‘high levels of overcrowding’, London TravelWatch warned (Pictured: Crowds at Euston station due to signalling fault on April 2)
Commuters were fuming as they stood shoulder to shoulder inside the ‘dangerously overcrowded’ station with megaphones and police being used for crowd control on September 23
‘But it is when train services are disrupted that the station really struggles to cope, with high levels of overcrowding putting passengers in danger.’
The watchdog said it has met with National Rail about these issues, however travellers still ‘rush to platforms due to last minute announcements.’
It added that staff appeared to be ‘overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of people’ and that recently installed smaller screens, did little to help.
‘It is almost a year since the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) issued an improvement notice to Network Rail regarding the station, but it seems little has changed,’ they said.
Passengers at the station have previously compared days of hellish delays at the station to ‘Squid Games but with a Boots’.
In May, Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines wrote to then-chair of the Commons’ Transport Select Committee Iain Stewart outlining steps taken since September 2023 to improve safety at Euston.
This included installing signs asking people not to run, and ensuring ramps to platforms are clear of passengers before announcing the next departure from the same platform.
However the chief executive acknowledged the experience of passengers ‘isn’t where we want it to be, particularly during disruption and other busy periods’.
The transport watchdog said despite the National Rail station meeting with the Office of Rail and Road almost a year ago ‘it seems little has changed,’ regarding their issues with overcrowding
Passengers at the station have previously compared days of hellish delays at the station to ‘Squid Games but with a Boots’ (Pictured: Commuters on a train to Crewe after National Rail hour-long delays in and out of Euston on September 23)
Pictured: Passengers sitting on the floor on an LNR train after a trespasser blocking some lines caused delays until the end of the day
He added: ‘We are a learning organisation and we will continue to work closely with operators to better manage both the safety and customer experience within the current station footprint, particularly as we look to deliver major improvements in the future.’
There are plans to redevelop Euston, including a larger concourse, but these are subject to Network Rail securing more Government funding.
Major work to prepare a site alongside the station for HS2 was halted by the Conservative government in March last year.
Labour ministers have yet to announce whether the high-speed railway will be extended to Euston, or will only run to and from Old Oak Common in the west London suburbs.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: ‘Euston was designed for a different era and we acknowledge that it is in need of major investment and modernisation.
‘However, safety is at the heart of our operation and something we would never compromise on in any of our stations.
‘For the majority of the time the station works, however during times of disruption, there simply isn’t enough room for passengers and we know this can make for an uncomfortable and unpleasant environment.’
An ORR spokesperson said: ‘Our improvement notice last year required Network Rail to improve their risk assessments and processes in relation to crowding at Euston.
Railway engineer Gareth Dennis previously spoke about the conditions of overcrowding at London Euston, particularly when one or more trains are delayed or cancelled
‘Notwithstanding, the passenger experience at Euston remains uncomfortable at times for users and we are aware of the recent media coverage on this.
‘We have been continuing to talk with Network Rail about further improvements it can make to help manage crowds, particularly during disruption.’
Meanwhile, questions have been raised about Lord Hendy’s position as the UK’s rail minister due to his conduct in a previous role as Network Rail chairman.
It emerged in August that railway engineer Gareth Dennis was sacked by transport consultancy Systra UK after describing Euston as ‘unsafe’ in a media interview.
Peter Hendy, who was the former non-executive chair of Network Rail, threatened to withhold contracts from his employer — one of the UK’s largest rail consultancy firms — unless the engineer was dismissed.
News website Politico revealed Lord Hendy was angered after Mr Dennis, told a journalist that overcrowding at the station was ‘unsafe’.
Mr Dennis spoke about the conditions of overcrowding, particularly when one or more trains are delayed or cancelled, whereby thousands of people gather in the concourse.
The email sent to the rail consultancy firm reportedly said ‘the allegation that Network Rail is running an unsafe operation is a serious one’.
However, speaking to RailTech, Mr Dennis said the comments in question had been made during ‘a very tame interview’ with The Independent.
He insisted he did not lay blame on a particular person, or that Network Rail needed to ‘get its act together’, but said it was a ‘condition of the history of the station’, which would ‘always be a challenge and that has to be managed’.
A letter from Lord Hendy to the engineer’s employer SYSTRA, was obtained by Politico in August, under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI).
Peter Hendy, (pictured) who was the former chair of Network Rail , threatened to withhold contracts from his employer — one of the UK’s largest rail consultancy firms — unless the engineer was dismissed
According to the website, the letter warned that ‘finding a potential supplier criticising a possible client reflects adversely on your likelihood of doing business with us or our supply chain.’
Mr Dennis was suspended on May 20, according to a letter from his employer seen by Politico, citing Lord Hendy’s complaint.
Further emails showed that on May 24, Mr Dennis was offered a financial settlement to leave SYSTRA on the condition he sign an agreement with a confidentiality clause.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: ‘The rail regulator’s concerns raised in September 2023 about passenger congestion at Euston station were addressed and put to bed in December 2023, months before the Independent piece was published.
‘Decisions on how employee conduct is handled is a matter for employers – in this case, Systra.’
A SYSTRA spokesprson said: ‘We are unable to comment on individual staff matters other than to confirm that a thorough investigation was carried out.’
Lord Hendy and Downing Street and were contacted by MailOnline for comment.