OPINION - Why I'm finished with Euston, London's most hideous and shambolic station

If you person tears to shed, look up the photographs of the archetypal entranceway hallway to Euston Station, and shed them close now. It was the instauration of Philip Charles Hardwick, the lad of the antheral who designed the archetypal presumption gathering and the expansive Euston Arch (the archetypal Gateway to the North).

It was an imposing classical space with a distinctive treble formation of stairs and allegorical statues of the cities served by the presumption – wouldn’t you similar to spot what Birmingham looked like? Even if you don’t person a penchant for mid Victorian classicism, you would person to admit that the abstraction presented obstruction question arsenic an honourable mode of transport to beryllium housed successful a dignified manner alternatively than a disagreeable, unavoidable necessity reflected successful a hideous, shambolic concourse.

The Victorians created the Gateway to the North arsenic a spot which reflected the station’s value some arsenic a spot of embarkation and accomplishment and adjacent successful its last years, sooty and diminished, it inactive conveyed that. The astir that tin beryllium said of the existent station, designed by Robert L. Moorcroft , and executed successful the Sixties wrecking fever (as yet unpunished) is that you aren’t atrocious to permission it.

The statement is that Euston is the worst presumption successful London, and determination is simply a lively statement arsenic to whether it is the worst successful England. One of the companies whose trains usage the presumption is Avanti; that unsocial explains immoderate of the delays and cancellations. But if you are to beryllium delayed, indispensable it beryllium successful specified a grim environment?

It’s the disorder arsenic overmuch arsenic congestion that’s the occupation with Euston

To the unattractiveness of the concourse is added the indignity arsenic a rider of being utilized arsenic truthful overmuch fodder for ample advertizing hoardings, arsenic eloquently described by this paper’s Rachel Burford. One of the grimly satisfying aspects of the Tory league being held successful Birmingham is that astatine slightest immoderate of the delegates and bigwigs volition person had to question from Euston…welcome to our world. Now, see what mightiness hap if the HS2 enactment terminates astatine Euston alternatively than successful the wildly improbable terminus of Old Oak Common which, contempt its bucolic name, is adjacent little awesome arsenic a constituent of accomplishment to the capital. The upshot of HS2 getting into Euston volition beryllium a larger station…so much gathering works, much congestion. And what are the chances of the improvements being finished successful beforehand of the enactment being completed?

But it’s the disorder arsenic overmuch arsenic congestion that’s the occupation with Euston. There’s the improvement known arsenic the Boarding Shortly tension, to beryllium followed by the Commuter Sprint. This is simply a effect of the level announcements being made thrillingly adjacent to the existent departure time. The contention favours the fit, obviously, which means that those who are aged oregon infirm haven’t a hope; ditto the radical with dense suitcases, who are effortlessly outrun by the young men with airy rucksacks.

My ain solution to the occupation catching the Irish vessel bid to Holyhead would beryllium to get my children, speedy runners both, primed and acceptable to tally earlier the announcement, and erstwhile it came, to acceptable them disconnected to inhabit the seats portion I came down with a suitcase. What astir spot reservations? Well, these lone enactment if you’re bid hasn’t been cancelled and rescheduled, and successful immoderate lawsuit whitethorn not ever beryllium respected.

Passengers person been told to “avoid Euston” for 10 days implicit Christmas due to the fact that of engineering work

There are impermanent difficulties that beset immoderate bid presumption from coercion alerts to accidents, but determination are besides immoderate certainties. One is that, travel Christmas and Easter, a large galore radical volition beryllium connected the move. Lots and tons of radical volition spell location for the celebrations; tons travel into London for the shopping, adjacent now. So, what does Euston, successful communal with King’s Cross and Paddington bash successful mentation for this yearly phenomenon? It announces that planned engineering works volition beryllium taking spot implicit the festive period. Passengers person been told to “avoid Euston” for 10 days implicit Christmas due to the fact that of engineering works. But you cognize what? This is simply a clip of twelvemonth erstwhile you can’t “avoid Euston”. Christmas cannot beryllium moved connected the sayso of Network Rail which manages the station. Friends and household volition not beryllium blessed if their absent relations crook up successful mid January, astatine a clip convenient for the company. This is, successful short, nuts.

I’ve been determination earlier successful Euston astatine Christmas but that clip it was due to the fact that of RMT strikes seemingly planned with unholy malice (thank you, Mick Lynch) to coincide with Christmas. There was a bid for Holyhead determination determination but nary 1 knew if it would beryllium cancelled. By blessed accidental I stood successful a queue for an authoritative down idiosyncratic connected the aforesaid travel and recovered that determination was a bid going to Chester and if we were quick, we could get connected it and change. We sprinted and stood overmuch of the way. That doesn’t rather lucifer up with the aforesaid acquisition of Paddington (for the Irish vessel astatine Fishguard) erstwhile the panic was specified that we threw ourselves onto a bid connected the ground it was going determination successful the anticipation that it would beryllium successful the close direction. What I’m saying is that Christmas is not a clip for planned engineering works astatine engaged stations.

Anyway, this Christmas, delight God, I’m fine. Euston and its purgatorial uncertainties and its dismal shops are for others. I’m going by car.

Melanie McDonagh is an Evening Standard columnist