| Information | |
|---|---|
| Type: | National Rail (West Coast Main Line & Watford DC Line) |
| Station code: | EUS |
| Opened: | 1837 |
| Platforms: | 18 |
Euston was opened in 1837 by the London & Birmingham Railway, later operated by the LNWR, LMS and British Railways. Nowadays it is managed by Network Rail.
The original station building was fronted by a huge Doric propylaeum called the Euston Arch and a train shed designed by Robert Stephenson. These were demolished in the late 1960s as the station was completely rebuilt [1], not without some controversy. The new station was a much less grand affair and has attracted criticism for its functional design though rebuilding was needed as the station could not be expanded anymore in its original state. The station was redesigned to aid passenger flow especially between the underground station (see Euston tube station) and the mainline station as well as enabling much greater retail space [2]. The original stated vision of the new station design was unfortunately never quite realised. In 1966 the electrification of the WCML was completed between Euston and Manchester/Liverpool [3].
Under plans for HS2 Euston could be rebuilt again adding more platforms, and maybe even the return of the arch.
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| Station frontage |
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| Virgin Trains Pendolino |
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| Main concourse |
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| Virgin Trains 390 130 |
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| The arch is commemorated on this tile motif on the Victoria Line station platforms |
[2] David Lawrence, British Rail Designed 1948-97 (Ian Allan, 2016) p. 86
[3] John Glover, BR Diary 1956-1967 (Ian Allan, 1987) p. 104
