Less 'crush and rush'? Euston rule change brings stress relief but station still unloved

Waiting for her train home to Glasgow, Beth Johnson expresses a sentiment familiar to those who regularly travel north out of London: "Euston is hell." The station, a dreaded entry and departure point to and from the capital, is synonymous with nightmarish scenes of overcrowding and passenger crushes caused by last-minute train announcements.

- Sammy Gecsoyler

But after a clamour of protest which reverberated from the run-down Euston concourse all the way to the desk of the transport secretary in Westminster, action has been taken. Trains are now announced earlier, and a giant digital billboard which beamed adverts at the tired eyes of angry passengers has been turned off.

Now, there is a calm in the air. A dozen or so minutes before rush hour, commuters are sauntering leisurely while carollers sing to a growing crowd of jovial admirers. A steady stream of passengers walk to their trains with ample time. Some even manage to grab a drink on the way.

Have the changes transformed the station into a tranquil terminus? "It's definitely a lot more chill than it was the last few times I've been here," said Helen, 43, who works in pensions. She travelled to London from the Midlands with her mum to watch a play.

Euston is the station Helen has to battle through to travel back home after visiting London. Thursday marked her sixth visit to the capital this year. Both her mum and uncle struggle with their mobility. She described her previous trips as a "nightmare".

"Even if you've got your seats booked, everybody just rushes as soon as the platform is announced. If they give us more time, it would definitely be a good thing. It will create less of a crush and rush."