Euston Station

I found Euston to be a very busy station, and much more overwhelming than some of the other main London railway stations. The station has services provided by Avanti West Coast, Caledonian Sleeper, and London Northwestern Railway. Euston was London’s first inter-city railway station, first opening in 1837. In some ways I felt that the accessibility reflects the station’s age. I was impressed by some parts of the station’s accessibility, for example, the Changing Places toilet and step-free access to most platforms from the ticket hall. However, there were lots of other aspects I felt were lacking, such as incredibly heavy doors into the accessible toilets, a lack of Braille information or tactile pathways and very steep ramps around the station. The accessible transport links are lacking as well for Euston station. I have found that for many other large railway stations in London, they have many good accessible transport links. The connections at Euston, however, are much more limited. The staff are really helpful here and the assistance lounge provides a safe space with seating away from the main crowds. But there are a number of other London railway stations I’d prefer to use over Euston if I can!

The Changing Places toilet at Euston Station was a well equipped and well maintained facility. The signage for toilets was clear and I found it easy to locate the Changing Places toilet. The signage directly outside the toilet had text, symbols and Braille. A RADAR key was needed to get inside and the door wasn’t too heavy to open, unlike some of the other toilets in the station. Inside there was a height-adjustable bench with shower facilities, a ceiling hoist, a standard toilet with grab rails, a height-adjustable sink and privacy screens. There was lots of signage with information and instructions on how to use the equipment. There were two large mirrors, one full-length mirror mounted on the wall by the door and another large one above the sink and this also moved with the sink when the height was adjusted. There were six coat hooks at different heights and lots of space inside. The walls had been tiled with deep blue coloured tiles and the lighting wasn’t too harsh so the overall environment felt calming and clean without feeling too clinical.

Euston Station was a bit of an experience. This super-busy station has plenty of accessibility features and has some of the nicest staff I've encountered. With a direct train from Glasgow, I can't think of a better London gateway.