Euston station not in a fit condition, says Rail Minister Lord Hendy

Rail Minister Lord Hendy has described London Euston as “no longer in a fit condition”, saying that marble columns are held together by bands to stop pieces falling off.

The former Network Rail chairman made the comments in the House of Lords on Wednesday, when asked about what is being done to improve the passenger experience.

Last month a five-point plan was introduced in response to overcrowding and safety concerns, which included a commitment more passengers to board trains 20 minutes prior to departure. The station was also subject to an Office of Rail and Road improvement notice between September and December 2023 after Network Rail “failed to put in effective measures to prevent risks to passengers and others during instances of surges and overcrowding”.

“The station itself was very modern in 1968; it is no longer very modern,” Lord Hendy said. “As a previous chair of Network Rail, I can tell your Lordships that if you look closely at the columns in the station, there are bands around the marble because it would fall off without them. The station is no longer in a fit condition.”

He also outlined what work is being done to improve the station.

“I would like to take some modest credit for having reincluded the concourse at Euston in the overall plan for the redevelopment of Euston and, now that the tunnels for HS2 will go there, I am very hopeful that all parts of the station will be fit for passenger usage in the future.

“There is a bookshop there currently that will not be there shortly, to create some space. I recall that we got criticism for removing Boots, but too many shops and not enough concourse space is the wrong answer. There will also be some further improvements to signage and visibility. When the last signage was done, it was hoped that it was the right job, but I am afraid it turned out not to be.”

Network Rail acknowledged that Euston is "in need of major investment and modernisation", confirming that metal straps keep the 1960s' marble cladding secure.

A spokeswoman said: "Longer term, we're developing plans for a major upgrade at Euston, which will deliver a brand-new station concourse that’s fit for the future, brighter and offers much better facilities to passengers. We continue to work with partners to ensure our revamped station integrates with the new HS2 station, TfL services and new homes."

Last week Lord Hendy apologised for suggesting Network Rail contracts could be withheld from Systra after one of its engineers, Gareth Dennis, described Euston as “not just unpleasant, but unsafe”, in an article published by the Independent.

At the Railway Industry Association’s annual conference, the Rail Minister defended NR’s handling of safety concerns at the station.

"In the case of Euston, there was an ORR improvement notice in 2023. We responded to it with alacrity and it was closed out before the end of that year, months before the article.” 

Letters revealed through an FOI request showed that when at Network Rail, Hendy wrote to Systra, warning that the comments made by Dennis could “reflect adversely on your likelihood of doing business with us or your supply chain again.”

"For those of you who read my letter, there was a sentence at the end where the tone of it fell well short of what should be expected, and for that I apologise,” said Hendy at the conference.

“No contractor has or will be penalised for employees raising concerns about safety, whether they raise them through NR, ORR, the DfT for that matter or confidentially through CIRAS, if that's what they want to do. The employment decisions about the person concerned are a matter for his employer.” 

Dennis was suspended in May and dismissed in July.

The Department for Transport has been approached for comment.