A member of staff at London Euston station allegedly ‘threatened to punch a customer’ amid ‘dangerous’ crowds at the weekend. Passengers have said that the major interchange in the centre of the capital is ‘not fit for purpose’ following a signal failure on Sunday (March 17).
People were reportedly stuck for three hours due to the issues, which led to a huge backlog in the concourse. One passenger has told MyLondon of the chaos, who says she was ‘elbowed in the ribs’ and pushed by fellow travellers.
Jodie Cousins, 33, an assistant headteacher living in Bexley, was travelling home after a weekend away in Cheshire. She said: “Finally got back to Euston at around 7pm – I was originally due back 3.45pm – and was met by large crowds, shoving. Wasn’t able to move and was trying to just exit the station to get home. Took 25 mins to get out of the station from platform 3.”
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She added: “I was actually very chilled and took it all in my stride until I got to Euston – my mood changed. Staff were shouting at crowds but trying their best, lots of drunk St. Paddy’s Day revellers entering the station trying to get on the trains but not giving room for people to get out. I’m assuming football lads who were shouting.
“At one point a staff member lost his cool and was threatening to punch someone. And this is when shoving really started. It was like an over packed festival. Except there were children, and everyone has luggage.
“It was just the fact I got elbowed in the ribs, feet trodden on and was getting pushed from all directions. Only wanted to bloody get out! It was so hectic, I was just trying to stay standing and hold onto my case.”
Others took to social media to denounce Euston as ‘dangerous’ and ‘not fit for purpose’.
‘Series of measures to assist with passenger management during busy periods’ introduced
A Network Rail spokesperson said: “We’re sorry to passengers who were caught up in the disruption yesterday (March 17) at London Euston station. Following a signal failure, we worked hard to get train services safely on the move again, but we know that to our valued passengers this was not a great travelling experience. We must do better, and we are prioritising ways that we can do that.
“Network Rail is progressing plans for the redevelopment of London Euston station which will accommodate current and future passenger demand on the West Coast Main Line, addressing capacity, accessibility and passenger experience issues and supporting regeneration of the Euston area in a cost-effective manner.
“In the interim, Network Rail has implemented a series of measures to assist with passenger management during busy periods and times of disruption, including widening of the ramp to Platforms 8-11, the provision of additional seating and the introduction of high-definition Customer Information Screens inside and outside the station.”
On the a staff member reportedly threatening violence, they added: “We take these allegations very seriously and will be thoroughly investigating to see what happened”.
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