Euston allows early boarding to curb station rushes

Rail passengers will be able to get to their platforms earlier at a central London station in an effort to reduce the so-called "Euston rush".

Network Rail said it will now allow passengers travelling on about 40% of Avanti West Coast services to board trains 20 minutes before departure.

This will be increased to around 55% in the run-up to Christmas.

Earlier this month, watchdog London TravelWatch warned that passengers at Euston were being put "in danger" by "high levels of overcrowding".

The changes come after Transport Secretary Louise Haigh ordered Network Rail to review and improve how it managed the station, including an initial five-point plan.

It said "last-minute announcements" mean passengers "rush to platforms".

As part of the reforms, passengers travelling on London Northwestern Railway's services to Birmingham have been invited on to platforms to await their train as soon as the preceding service has departed.

The so-called "Euston rush" is dangerous for passengers, a watchdog said

Gary Walsh, director for Network Rail's West Coast south route, said: "Getting passengers to their services in good time is at the heart of our improvements at Euston, and today's changes will tackle that issue head-on."

The plan includes other measures such as turning off a large advertising screen while its usage is reviewed, creating more concourse space, upgrading toilets and enhancing how the station operates during disruption.

Ms Haigh said: "I am pleased to see immediate improvements being made at Euston station to reduce the risk of overcrowding, drive up standards and deliver a better experience for passengers.

"For too long, Euston station simply has not been good enough.

She added work was under way on a "long-term solution for the station".

Plans to redevelop Euston include the creation of 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.

London Northwestern Railway customer experience director Jonny Wiseman said: "We'll be monitoring the impact of these changes closely as we continue working with partners to make the process of boarding trains smoother across the station."