Euston train station has taken down its giant billboard following protests from commuters who criticized the replacement of vital passenger information screens.
The decision comes after mass cancellations of Avanti West Coast trains left thousands of passengers frustrated and confused in the station’s congested concourse.
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh intervened and ordered Network Rail to switch off the 60-metre screen, which showed adverts for Canadian holidays, ITVX and the Transformers film, instead of crucial travel updates. Haigh acknowledged that Euston station is “simply not good enough for passengers” and demanded immediate action to improve conditions.
The screen had replaced one of the largest passenger information boards in Britain, and the decision to replace it was widely criticized by commuters as a ‘terrible decision’, especially during periods of significant disruption. Cancellations affecting routes to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh and other destinations left passengers without access to important travel information, leading to widespread frustration.
In response to the backlash, Network Rail confirmed that the billboard had been taken down and that a study would be carried out to assess the impact of the screen on congestion at the station. “The question is whether the screen contributes to traffic congestion or whether it makes no difference, and whether it actually has a positive impact,” a spokesperson said. The station will use thermal modeling to monitor how the screen shutdown affects passenger movement.
Network Rail stressed that the new configuration of passenger information boards improves circulation at the station, with a spokesperson commenting: “We will never go back to a bulkhead departure board again. As popular as it was, the facts prove that it was a barrier to movement at the station.”
The closure of the advertising screen is part of a wider five-point plan designed to improve the experience for passengers in Euston. Additional measures include creating more concourse space, improving station operations during disruptions and increasing the reliability of train services on the West Coast Main Line.
Gary Walsh, route director for West Coast South, admitted the recent passenger experience at Euston was lacking and said: “We need to do better.” He expressed confidence that the five-point plan would make a meaningful difference in the short term by reducing congestion and providing clearer passenger information.
Euston station is also in discussions with advertising company JCDecaux, owner of the billboard, to explore the possibility of displaying passenger information on screen during times of major disruption on the West Coast Main Line. Known as the Euston Motion+, the screen first went live in January as part of a campaign created by Saatchi & Saatchi for energy company Ovo.